Carbon group

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Group	14
Period
2	6 C
3	14 Si
4	32 Ge
5	50 Sn
6	82 Pb
7	114 Uuq

The carbon group is group 14 (IUPAC style) in the periodic table. Once also known as the tetrels (from Latin tetra, four), stemming from the earlier naming convention of this group as Group IVB.

Each of the elements in this group has 4 electrons in its outer energy level. The last orbital of all these elements is the p2 orbital. In most cases, the elements share their electrons. The tendency to lose electrons increases as the size of the atom increases, as it does with increasing atomic number. Carbon alone forms negative ions, in the form of carbide (C4-) ions. Silicon and germanium, both metalloids, each can form +4 ions. Tin and lead both are metals while ununquadium is a synthetic shortlived radioactive metal.

The group consists of carbon (C), silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), tin (Sn), lead (Pb), and ununquadium (Uuq).

Explanation of above periodic table slice:

Nonmetals	Metalloids	Poor metals	atomic number in black are solids	solid borders are primordial elements (older than the Earth)	dotted borders are radioactive, synthetic elements