Problem 92 - Chemistry

Question

Identify each of the following elements: a. a member of the same family as oxygen whose most stable ion contains 54 electrons b. a member of the alkali metal family whose most stable ion contains 36 electrons c. a noble gas with 18 protons in the nucleus d. a halogen with 85 protons and 85 electrons

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

a. There is no suitable element to match the given criteria. b. The alkali metal with 36 electrons in its most stable state is Rubidium (Rb). c. The noble gas with 18 protons in the nucleus is Argon (Ar). d. The halogen with 85 protons and 85 electrons is Astatine (At).

Step 1: Identify the elements based on their family and electron configuration

For part a, we need to find a member of the same family as oxygen. Oxygen belongs to the group 16 (also known as the chalcogens) in the periodic table. The elements in the same group share similar properties and have the same number of valence electrons.

Step 2: Find the element with the specified ion

a. Group 16 elements form 2- ions when they combine with other elements. We need to find an element in this group that has an ion with 54 electrons after losing 2 electrons. That means the neutral atom should have 56 electrons. The element with 56 electrons is Barium (Ba). However, Barium is not a member of group 16; it belongs to group 2, which are alkaline earth metals. The error in this question could be a misprint or typo; otherwise, there is no suitable element to match the given criteria. b. For part b, we need to find an alkali metal with its most stable ion containing 36 electrons. Alkali metals belong to group 1 in the periodic table and they lose 1 electron to obtain their most stable ion state. So, the neutral atom should have 37 electrons. The element with 37 electrons is Rubidium (Rb), which belongs to the alkali metal family (group 1). c. For part c, we need to find a noble gas with 18 protons in the nucleus. Noble gases belong to group 18 in the periodic table. The element with 18 protons is Argon (Ar), which belongs to the noble gas family. d. For part d, we need to find a halogen with 85 protons and 85 electrons. Halogens belong to group 17 in the periodic table. The element with 85 protons is Astatine (At), which belongs to the halogen family.

Step 3: Summarize the results

a. There is no suitable element to match the given criteria. b. The alkali metal with 36 electrons in its most stable state is Rubidium (Rb). c. The noble gas with 18 protons in the nucleus is Argon (Ar). d. The halogen with 85 protons and 85 electrons is Astatine (At).