Group 13 Elements: An Introduction

As we know there are many chemical elements present on our planet. The periodic table is a way by which all the chemical elements are represented in a tabular form. This periodic table is in different aspects and branches of science such as physics, chemistry, etc. As there are many chemical elements in the plant it can’t be represented in a generic order. It needs to be set in such an order that makes sense and with which people can understand and remember them and their position.

The periodic table is divided into 4 rectangular areas which are called blocks. As usual, the blocks have rows and columns, out of which the rows are known as periods and the columns are known as groups. Elements that fall in the same group tend to show similar characteristics. Dmitri Mendeleev was a Russian chemist and became the first person to propose a periodic table which was generally accepted by the mass of people. As mentioned earlier there are different groups in the periodic table which tend to show the same characteristics, so we will discuss the group 13 elements in this article. 

Elements of Group 13

The group 13 elements of the periodic table are also known as the elements of the boron family. The elements which constitute the boron family are boron, aluminum, gallium, indium, thallium, and nihonium. The group 13 elements exhibit a recognizable trait which is that the elements of this group tend to have three electrons in the outer atomic structure. Boron is a metalloid and is the lightest element among the rest of the elements in the group. It should be noted that nihonium is mostly produced as single atoms and that too in particle accelerators.

 At first, boron didn’t have any significant use because it was known in a pure state. After modern chemistry isolated them, chemists found a way to produce them in commercial quantities and for commercial use. This is when boron started to gather attention in industrial sectors. Apart from boron and aluminum, the rest of the elements of the group still has some commercial value. 

Occurrence of the Elements of the Boron Family 

The occurrence of the different elements of the boron family is as follows-

1. Boron- It is known that boron cannot exist in a free state of nature. Ferdinand Frederic was from France and became the first chemist and Nobel to obtain boron. It is considered a rare element and it generally takes place as borates, orthoboric acid, and borax. Bauxite can also be found in India, in places like the Puga Valley of Ladakh and Sambhar Lake of Rajasthan. The presence of boron in the crust of the earth is even less than 0.0001%. 
2. Aluminum- Just like boron aluminum is known not to occur in a free state of nature. Aluminum is the 4th most available element in the earth’s crust after oxygen and silicon. Some of the most important minerals of aluminum are bauxite and cryolite. In India, the minerals of aluminum are found in the form of mica, in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, and many more.
3. Gallium, indium, and thallium are the elements out of the boron family that are found in the least abundance. Thallium is said to be the most toxic out of all group 13 elements.

Physical Properties of the Boron Family 

Ionization is generally the process by which an atom/molecule gains a positive or a negative charge by gaining or losing electrons. If we move down the group from boron to thallium, we can see that there is a decreasing trend in ionization energy. In gallium, there are 10 d electrons in the last shell which generally screens the nuclear charge with less efficiency hence the outer electron is held firmly. The effect of 14f electrons which are present in the inner shells causes an increase in the ionization energy from indium to thallium. So, the correct order of ionization enthalpy of group 13 elements is B > Al < Ga > In < T1

The physical properties of the boron family are as follows- 

1. Boron gets blazed in oxygen at high temperatures. 
2. Aluminum is known to be amphoteric. This implies that aluminum disintegrates in weakened acids 
3. There is a trend of reduction in the acidic nature of the hydroxides when we move down the group. 
4. Boric acid is a monobasic acid that is very delicate. 

Chemical Properties of the Boron Family 

Some of the chemical features of the elements of the boron family are as follows- 

• A lot of energy is needed for the dissociation of the group 13 elements
• Boron is the only element in group 13 to be a non-metal while the other elements are metal
• It is known that all the neutral elements of group 13 lack electrons and act as Lewis acids 

Conclusion 

To summarize the topic, the first accepted periodic table was proposed by a Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev. The periodic table is a way of representing all the chemical elements in a tabular form. The group 13 elements consist of boron, aluminum, gallium, indium, and thallium. 

The group 13 elements exhibit a trait of the group of having 3 electrons in the outer atomic structure. It should be noted that boron is a metalloid. Boron, as well as aluminum, cannot exist in a free state of nature. The remaining elements of the group are found very less in the earth’s crust. The most common physical property of the elements of the group is that they will get burned in presence of oxygen at high temperatures. The correct order of ionization enthalpy of group 13 elements is B > Al < Ga > In < T1.