Question

which of the following is a characteristic of the group 14 elements? 1 point they have 4 valence electrons. they have 14 neutrons. they have 14 protons. they have 4 core electrons. electrons will occupy which orbitals first? 1 point the outermost energy shell. those with the highest energy. those with the lowest energy. electrons are filled in orbitals randomly.

Explanation:

For the first question, elements in Group 14 (carbon - family) have 4 valence electrons as they are in the p - block and the general outer - electron configuration is $ns^{2}np^{2}$. For the second question, according to the Aufbau principle, electrons fill orbitals in order of increasing energy, so they occupy the orbitals with the lowest energy first.

Answer:

1. They have 4 valence electrons.
2. Those with the lowest energy.