Question

current attempt in progress
why would you expect elements zinc, cadmium, and mercury to be in the same chemical family?
all of these elements have a s

d

electron configuration in their outermost energy levels.

Explanation:

Elements in the same chemical family have similar electron configurations in their outermost energy levels. Zinc (\(Zn\)) has an electron configuration of \([Ar]3d^{10}4s^{2}\), cadmium (\(Cd\)) has \([Kr]4d^{10}5s^{2}\), and mercury (\(Hg\)) has \([Xe]4f^{14}5d^{10}6s^{2}\). In their outermost energy levels (considering the valence - relevant orbitals), they have \(s^{2}d^{10}\) configurations.

Answer:

All of these elements have a \(s^{2}\) \(d^{10}\) electron configuration in their outermost energy levels.