Question

based on its location in the same group as phosphorus, describe arsenics potential bonding characteristics.
(a) how many valence electrons does arsenic have?
(b) how many bonds will arsenic tend to form with other elements?

Explanation:

(A) Elements in the same group (column) of the periodic table have the same number of valence electrons. Phosphorus is in group 15 (or group VA in the old - style numbering). The general formula for the number of valence electrons for group 15 elements is \(n = 5\). Since arsenic (As) is in the same group as phosphorus, it has 5 valence electrons.
(B) Atoms tend to form bonds to achieve a stable electron configuration (usually 8 valence electrons, octet rule). With 5 valence electrons, arsenic needs \(8 - 5=3\) more electrons to complete its octet. So, it will tend to form 3 covalent bonds (by sharing electrons) with other elements.

Answer:

(A) 5
(B) 3