Group 14 Elements are a group of elements in the periodic table that include carbon, silicon, germanium, tin, and lead.

The Group 14 elements, also known as the Carbon Group, are the second group in the p-block of the periodic table. The members of this group are:

Carbon (C)

Silicon (Si)

Germanium (Ge)

Tin (Sn)

Lead (Pb)

Flerovium (Fl)

Table of Contents

Electronic Configuration of Group 14 Elements

Oxidation States of Group 14 Elements

Anomalous Behaviour of Carbon

Chemical Properties of Group 14 Elements

Physical Properties of Group 14 Elements

Compounds Formed by Group 14 Elements

Electronic Configuration of Group 14 Elements

The group 14 elements have a general electronic configuration of ns<sup>2</sup>np<sup>2</sup>. These elements have 2 electrons in the outermost p orbitals. The electronic configuration of these elements is shown below:

Group 14 Elements

This is an example of a table

Example	Table
1	2

| #### Time Period

| #### Element |

| Atomic Number |

Electronic Configuration

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This	is	an	example
of	a	table

| 2nd | Carbon (C) | 6 | [He]$^2$s$^2$ 2p$^2$ |

| 3rd | Silicon (Si) | 14 | [Ne]3s2 3p2 |

| 4th | Germanium (Ge) | 32 | [Ar]3d10 4s2 4p2 |

| 5th | Tin (Sn) | 50 | [Kr]4d10 5s2 5p2 |

| 6th | Lead (Pb) | 82 | [Xe]4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p² |

All elements in group 14 have 4 electrons in their outermost shell, making the valency of these elements 4. These electrons are used in bond formation in order to achieve an octet configuration.

Oxidation States and Inert Pair Effect of Group 14 Elements

The general oxidation states exhibited by the group 14 elements are +4, and +2.

The inert pair effect causes the tendency to form +2 ions to increase as we go down the group of p-block elements.

The inert pair effect is the reason behind the non-participation of the s-orbital during bonding, which is caused by the poor shielding of the intervening electrons.

⇒ Check: List of all periodic table elements

Since the d and f orbitals have very poor shielding ability, the nuclear charge seeps through, making the s orbital closer to the nucleus. This causes the s orbital to be reluctant to bond, leaving only the p electrons involved in bonding for elements such as Sn and Pb.

Therefore, Pb⁴⁺ is a very good oxidizing agent.

Also Read:

Silicon

Germanium

Tin

Lead

Flerovium

Anomalous Behaviour of Carbon

“Carbon exhibits different behavior from the rest of the group because,”

Small Size

High Electronegativity

High Ionization Enthalpy

The Absence of d-Orbital in the Valence Shell

Chemical Properties of Group 14 Elements

Covalent Radii

The radii of group 14 elements are lesser than that of group 13 elements. This can be explained by the increase in the effective nuclear charge.

The increase in the radii from C to Si is considerable, after which the increase in the radii is less. This can be attributed to the poor shielding of d and f orbitals, resulting in an increased effective nuclear charge, leading to a decrease in the radii.

Ionization Enthalpy

The ionization energy of group 14 elements is greater than that of group 13 elements. This can be attributed to size.

Down the group, the Ionization Enthalpy decreases. There is a sharp decrease from Carbon (C) to Silicon (Si), after which the decrease is nominal.

The order is as follows: C > Si > Ge > Pb > Sn

Here, Pb has a greater Ionization Enthalpy than Sn due to the ineffective shielding of d and f orbitals.

⇒ Check s-block elements

Physical Properties:

Metallic Character

Group 14 elements are less electropositive than Group 13 due to their small size and high ionization enthalpy.

C and Si are non-metals, Ge is a metalloid, and Sn and Pb are soft metals with low melting points that increase further down the group.

Melting and Boiling Points

The melting and boiling points of carbon, silicon, and germanium are significantly high due to their very stable solid structure. In contrast, Sn and Pb have a lower melting point because only two bonds are formed instead of four, as a result of the inert pair effect.

The melting point of carbon is very high. All elements of group-14 have a diamond-type lattice structure, which is very stable. When the melting process occurs, these strong lattice structures are disrupted.

The melting point of metals generally decreases as the size of the atoms forming the M-M bonds increases. Tin and Lead, being metals, have relatively low melting points.

Examples of Four Covalent Compounds:

Four covalent compounds are compounds in which the four electrons in the valence shell play an active role in bonding. Most elements in group 14 exhibit this property.

Compounds Formed by Group 14 Elements

Hydrides of Group 14:

#All the elements of Group 14 form hydrides, with Carbon forming hydrides extensively due to its ability to catenate. The hydrides of Carbon can be categorized as follows:

Alkanes (paraffin’s): General formula: C_nH_2n+2

Alkenes (Olefins): General Formula: C_nH_2n

Alkynes (Acetylenes): General formula: C_nH_2n-2

Aromatic Compounds

Silanes have the general formula SiH$_{2n+2}$ and are silicon-based hydrides.

Germanium forms hydrides of the form GenH2n+2, where nmax=5, which are referred to as “germanes”.

Stannane is the name given to tin forms SnH4, which is much less stable.

Oxides of Group 14:

Group 14 elements form oxides of the type MO and MO₂. Lead also form an oxide Pb₃O₄ which is a mixed oxide of PbO and PbO₂. Among the monoxides, CO is neutral, GeO is basic while SnO and PbO are amphoteric.

In CO2, C is sp hybridized, which is different from the sp3 hybridization of Si in SiO2. Each O atom in SiO2 is bonded to two Si atoms, resulting in a three-dimensional structure. This contributes to SiO2’s high melting point.

The acidic character of the dioxides decreases from CO2 (the most acidic) to PbO2 (the most basic). hybridization

⇒ Allotropes of Carbon - Also Read

Halides of Group 14:

• Carbon Tetrachloride (CCl4)
• Silicon Tetrachloride (SiCl4)
• Tin Tetrachloride (SnCl4)
• Lead Tetrachloride (PbCl4)

The central atom in tetrahalides of the form MX4 is sp3 hybridized and assumes a tetrahedral shape.

Note: Elements below C, with empty d-orbitals, can exhibit back bonding with the halogens through pπ-dπ interactions.

Carbon does not form dihalides, as the dihalides are sp2 hybridized and have a bent shape.

⇒ Also Read:

F-Block Elements

D-Block Elements

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The elements in group 14 are Carbon (C), Silicon (Si), Germanium (Ge), Tin (Sn), and Lead (Pb).

The general oxidation states of group 14 elements are: Carbon (4, 2, -4), Silicon (4, 3, 2, 0), Germanium (4, 3, 2, 0), Tin (4, 2, 0), Lead (4, 2, 0) and Flerovium (2, 0).

Which group 14 element is a very good oxidizing agent in +4 oxidation state?

Pb is a very good oxidizing agent in +4 oxidation state. Which element is a metalloid in group 14 elements?

The element that is a metalloid in group 14 elements is Silicon (Si).

Germanium is a metalloid in group 14 elements.### Which other elements are metallic in nature in group 14?

Sn and Pb are soft metals in group 14 of the periodic table.