Carbon occupies a place in the most important element of our daily life, which is not only useful for human life but also very important for maintaining the balance of this nature. Parts of carbon are found in our bodies from coal, we know some special compounds related to carbon as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). Carbon has been a major contributor from the beginning of life to the measurement of ocean acidification. At the same time, carbon atoms are also known for their special properties in the field. This article will mainly talk about Carbon, Silicon, Germanium, Tin, Lead and Fluorovium located in group 14 of the periodic table.

Group 14 element

The carbon family is group 14 in the p-block, which includes the elements carbon (C), silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), tin (Sn), lead (Pb), and flerovium (Fl). In the outermost p orbital of each of these elements, there are only two electrons, with the electron configuration ns2np2. Due to the inert pairing effect, elements in group 14 have an oxidation state of 4 for the lighter elements and 2 for the heavier ones.

The biggest feature of this group is that as we go down the group, the atomic radius increases, and the ionisation energy also decreases. Thus we can say that the atomic radius for this group is inversely proportional to the ionisation energy. Also, the metallic properties here increase as we move down the group. In this group carbon is a non-metal, silicon and germanium metalloids and tin and lead are known as poor metals. Carbon exhibits slightly different properties from other elements. 

For example, carbon behaves as a non-metal, and tin and lead behave completely as metals. The metalloids of this group 14, silicon and germanium, act as electrical semiconductors, although silicon is known as a non-metal, which is used as a semiconductor in many places such as diodes, transistors, etc.

Oxidation states and inert pair effect of group 14 element; Important Facts

Many properties of the group 14 elements can be understood through the periodic table, some of which are explained here through points, which are something like this;

• In general, the oxidation states indicated by group 14 elements are 4 and 2.
• The elements included in the group tend to form ions as we travel down the group, which is primarily owing to the inert pair effect.
• The d and f orbitals of elements like Sn and Pb are filled by electrons. The nuclear charge that seeps through attracts the s orbital closer to the nucleus due to the d and f orbitals’ low shielding ability. As a result, the s orbital is unwilling to bond, leaving just the p electrons to bond.
• The atoms of elements in the carbon family have four electrons in their outermost energy level. There are two electrons in the s subshell and two in the p subshell. Only carbon has a s2 exterior configuration, which distinguishes it from the other members of the family.
• The atomic radius and ionic radius rise as one proceeds down the periodic table in the carbon family, but electronegativity and ionisation energy drop.
• Although tin and lead form ionic compounds, the elements in this group create covalent compounds.
• The melting and boiling temperatures of group 14 elements are substantially higher than those of group 13. The melting point and boiling point of carbon molecules fall as the group grows larger, owing to weaker nuclear interactions within larger molecules.

Chemical Properties 

As for the covalent radius – If we pay attention to the radius of the elements of group 14, then we will find that the radius of group 14 elements are smaller than the radius of group 13 elements, mainly because of effective nuclear charge. , we find that the radius increases from carbon to silicon, but then decreases, mainly due to the d and f orbitals.

Having ionisation enthalpy – If you compare the ionisation energy of this group with that of group 13, then you will find that its ionisation energy is very high, mainly because of the size of its atom. Also it has been found that if we go from top to bottom then there is a decrease in ionisation enthalpy.

Physical Properties

Metal character – If you look at the metallic character of group 14, you will find that they are less electropositive than group 13. The main reason for this is found to be small size and high ionisation enthalpy.

Covalent Compounds- Compounds of this group have the property of forming 4 covalent compounds, in simple words, four electron bonds are found in their valence shell.

Melting point and boiling point – The elements of group 14 have very high melting points and boiling points, mainly because of their solid structure. Due to the presence of two bonds in Sn and Pb, they have low melting points. Carbon has a lattice structure, and its melting point is much higher than all others. As we go further down in this group, there is a decrease in the melting point.

Conclusion

Group 14 elements remain a very important tool in today’s daily life in some way or the other, which is used not only to generate electricity, but also in human treatment. Apart from this, the elements of this group are used to complete many chemical reactions, in which they act as catalysts. We learnt about the oxidation states and inert pair effect of group 14 elements.