Which family out of Alkaline earth metals, Transition Metals, Post-transition metals, Metalloids, Nonmetals, Halogens, Noble gases, Lanthanide series, and Actinide series are highly reactive? Which family is unreactive?
The highly reactive families are:
1. Alkaline earth metals - These metals are highly reactive because they have two valence electrons that they readily lose to form positive ions.
2. Transition metals - While transition metals can vary in reactivity, some elements in this family such as Group 1B (copper, silver, and gold) are relatively unreactive, while others like Group 1A (iron, cobalt, nickel) can be highly reactive.
3. Halogens - The halogens, specifically Group 7A, are highly reactive nonmetals. They have seven valence electrons and readily gain one electron to achieve a stable octet configuration.
The unreactive family is:
Noble gases - The noble gases are known for their low reactivity. They have full valence electron shells, which makes them stable and unlikely to form compounds with other elements.