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All the way back in 1869, Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev (1834-1907) created the framework for the modern Periodic Table. He sorted this table so that elements with like properties would be next to each other. Each column is its own group with contains like elements.
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Sign up for freeWhere can you find group 5A on the periodic table?
What is the general electron configuration pattern for the valence electrons in group 5A?
Which of the following is NOT a common oxidation state for group 5A?
Which of the following properties increase as you go down the group?
Which of the following properties decrease as you go down the group?
True or False: All group 5A elements are solids at room temperature
True or False: Bismuth's boiling point is lower than antimony's
True or False: All group 5A elements can form Pn2H3 compounds, where Pn is a group 5A element
Which of the following are alternate names for group 5A?
True or False: All group 5A elements can form PnX3 compounds, where Pn is a group 5A element and X is a halogen
Group 5A does NOT commonly react with which of the following elements/groups
Where can you find group 5A on the periodic table?
What is the general electron configuration pattern for the valence electrons in group 5A?
Which of the following is NOT a common oxidation state for group 5A?
Which of the following properties increase as you go down the group?
Which of the following properties decrease as you go down the group?
True or False: All group 5A elements are solids at room temperature
True or False: Bismuth's boiling point is lower than antimony's
True or False: All group 5A elements can form Pn2H3 compounds, where Pn is a group 5A element
Which of the following are alternate names for group 5A?
True or False: All group 5A elements can form PnX3 compounds, where Pn is a group 5A element and X is a halogen
Group 5A does NOT commonly react with which of the following elements/groups
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Team Group 5A Teachers
In this article, we will be looking at group 5A. We will learn the names of each element, their physical properties, their chemical properties, and what compounds that commonly form.
Group 5A is the 15th column in the periodic table
Since this group is also the 15th column, it is also called group 15. In addition, these elements are sometimes called pnictogens. The word comes from the ancient Greek word "pnigein", meaning "to choke" since breathing pure Nitrogen gas (the first element of this group) can cause you to choke. Talk about a dark nickname!
Below is where you can find these elements on the periodic table:
Fig.1-Where to find group 5A on the periodic table
The group is called "5A" since it is the 5th column across when you ignore the transition metals.
The elements in this group are:
**While Moscovium is a group 5A element, we will not be discussing it in this lesson. Moscovium is an extremely radioactive man-made element. While its properties have been estimated based on calculations, they are not widely confirmed, which is why we will not be discussing this element.
Group 5A elements follow a trend in their electron configuration.
Electron Configuration tells us the distribution of electrons around a nucleus
Below is a table listing each element's electron configuration, where their Valence Electrons (outermost electrons) are highlighted in blue
| Element name | Electron configuration |
| Nitrogen (N) | 1s22s22p3 |
| Phosphorus (P) | 1s22s22p63s23p3 |
| Arsenic (As) | 1s22s22p63s23p63d104s24p3 |
| Antimony (Sb) | 1s22s22p63s23p63d104s24p64d105s25p3 |
| Bismuth (Bi) | 1s22s22p63s23p63d104s24p64d105s25p64f145d106s26p3 |
As you can see from their electron configurations, group 5A elements have 5 valence electrons.
Because of this, they have several possible oxidation states.
An element's oxidation state tells us the number of electrons lost (+n) or gained (-n) during Bonding
Let's break this down element by element:
For the lighter group 5A elements (nitrogen, phosphorus, and arsenic) the -3 oxidation state is more common, however, for the heavier elements (antimony and bismuth), the +3 oxidation state is more common.
For heavier elements, it is easier to lose electrons than to gain them. This is because the outermost electrons are farther away from the nucleus, so it doesn't have as much "pull" on them.
Because of these oxidation states, these elements are also able to form stable double and triple bonds.
In a double bond, the two elements share 4 electrons. However, in a triple bond, the elements share 6 electrons. For example, N2 has a triple bond between the two nitrogen atoms, since each nitrogen can donate 3 electrons.
The physical properties tend to vary across the group since it contains all three types of elements (non-metal, metalloid, and metal). For example, at room temperature, nitrogen is a nonmetal and colorless gas, while bismuth is a metal and a silver-pink solid.
Because of this, when we look at their properties, we often refer to the trends in properties.
Let's look at a few of these trends
Rainbow bismuth
Bismuth can be easily oxidized when exposed to air. When bismuth reacts with oxygen, it forms an oxidation layer, which changes the bismuth's color. The thickness of the oxide layer varies, which causes different wavelengths of light to reflect off it, making the bismuth have a rainbow-like appearance
Fig.2-Bismuth has a rainbow appearance when oxidized
Group 5A tends to form certain types of compounds due to their unique reactivity. Here are some examples:
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Which group 5a element is most metallic?
Bismuth
How many elements are there in group 5A?
There are 6 elements in group 5A
What oxidation state will group 5a on the periodic table have?
The oxidation state is dependent on the element, but all group 5A elements can have the possible oxidation states of -3, +3, and +5. The -3 oxidation is more common for lighter elements, while the +3 oxidation state is more common for heavier elements.
What is the electron configuration of group 5a?
For group 5A's valence electrons, the general electron configuration is ns2np3
What are group 5a's valence electrons?
This group has 5 valence electrons
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