The ground state electronic configurations of the elements, U, V, W, X, and Y (these symbols do not — Periodic Table and Periodicity Chemistry Question
Question
The ground state electronic configurations of the elements, U, V, W, X, and Y (these symbols do not have any chemical significance) are as follows : U 1s2 2s2 2p3, V 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s1, W 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p2, X 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d5 4s2, Y 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6. Determine which sequence of elements satisfy the following statements : (i) Element forms a carbonate which is not decomposed by heating (ii) Element is most likely to form coloured ionic compounds (iii) Element has largest atomic radius (iv) Element forms only acidic oxide
💡 Solution & Explanation
Step 1: Analyze the chemical properties and oxidation state tendencies of each option. Cesium is an alkali metal and only exhibits a +1 oxidation state. Fluorine is the most electronegative element and only shows a -1 oxidation state. Step 2: Xenon is a noble gas and shows only positive oxidation states in its compounds with electronegative elements (like XeF2, XeO3) but does not exhibit negative oxidation states. Step 3: Iodine, being a halogen with lower electronegativity, shows a -1 oxidation state in iodides (e.g., KI) and positive oxidation states (like +1, +3, +5, +7) when bonded to highly electronegative elements like fluorine or oxygen (e.g., IF7, I2O5).