An atom has a valence shell configuration of ns2p5. To which group of elements in the periodic table does it belong?
transition metals
Halogens
alkaline earth metals
alkaline metal
Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between elements and compounds?
Halogens
To determine the group of elements to which an atom belongs based on its valence shell configuration, we need to understand the periodic table and the organization of elements within it.
In the periodic table, elements are organized into periods and groups. A period is a horizontal row while a group is a vertical column.
For the given valence shell configuration of ns2p5, we can observe that the ns orbital is already completely filled with 2 electrons, which indicates that the atom belongs to the second period (n=2).
The p orbital in this configuration has 5 electrons, specifically 5p. To find the group, we count the number of electrons in the p orbital, which is 5.
Group 1 elements, also known as the alkali metals, have a valence electron configuration of ns1. Group 2 elements, also known as the alkaline earth metals, have a valence electron configuration of ns2.
Group 17 elements, known as halogens, have a valence electron configuration of ns2np5. The given atom matches this configuration perfectly, so it belongs to the halogens.
Therefore, the atom with the valence shell configuration of ns2p5 belongs to the halogens group.