Question

1. make a rule: based on your data, how are elements arranged into chemical families?

beryllium
nitrogen
oxygen
fluorine
magnesium
phosphorus
sulfur
chlorine

1. infer: look at your periodic table. how many valence electrons would you find for elements in each family?

boron family:
carbon family:
neon family:

1. think and discuss: how do you think the number of valence electrons relates to an elements chemical properties?

Explanation:

• Question 4: Elements are arranged into chemical families (groups) based on having similar chemical properties. This similarity arises because elements in the same family have the same number of valence electrons (with some exceptions like helium in the noble - gas family which has 2 valence electrons while other noble gases have 8). For example, beryllium and magnesium (both in the alkaline - earth metal family) have similar reactivity due to their 2 valence electrons.
• Question 5:
• Boron family (Group 13): The general electron configuration for the outermost shell is \(ns^{2}np^{1}\), so the number of valence electrons is \(3\).
• Carbon family (Group 14): The general electron configuration for the outermost shell is \(ns^{2}np^{2}\), so the number of valence electrons is \(4\).
• Neon family (Group 18, noble gases): The general electron configuration for the outermost shell (except for helium) is \(ns^{2}np^{6}\), so the number of valence electrons is \(8\). Helium has \(2\) valence electrons (\(1s^{2}\)), but it is still placed in this family due to its inert nature.
• Question 6: The number of valence electrons determines an element's chemical properties. Elements with a full valence shell (like noble gases with 8 valence electrons, except helium) are chemically inert. Elements with 1, 2, or 3 valence electrons tend to lose electrons (metals in Groups 1, 2, and 13). Elements with 5, 6, or 7 valence electrons tend to gain electrons (non - metals in Groups 15, 16, and 17). For example, sodium (1 valence electron) readily loses its electron to form \(Na^{+}\), while chlorine (7 valence electrons) readily gains an electron to form \(Cl^{-}\).

Answer:

• Question 4: Elements are arranged into chemical families based on similar chemical properties (due to the same number of valence electrons).
• Question 5: Boron family: \(3\); Carbon family: \(4\); Neon family: \(8\)
• Question 6: The number of valence electrons determines an element's chemical properties. Elements with a full valence shell are inert. Elements with 1 - 3 valence electrons tend to lose electrons, and elements with 5 - 7 valence electrons tend to gain electrons.