Heavy p-block Chemistry Trivia Quiz

Answer: Lead

Lead is the heaviest, non-radioactive p-block element. Polonium, which is only slightly heavier than bismuth has a variety of isotopes, all of which are radioactive. Astatine is also highly radioactive; the only way to obtain it is in a nuclear reactor.

Bismuth was considered to be non radioactive but all isotopes have now been proven to be so, although some have an extremely long half-life.

Answer: True

The inert pair of electrons can sometimes influence the stereochemistry of compounds which contain a heavy p-block element.

Answer: s

The inert pair of electrons lie in a high energy s orbital. The ionization energies associated with these electrons are fairly high for many of the heavy p-block elements.

Answer: Pb(II)

Lead 2+ is the only one that has electrons in a high-energy s orbital.

Thallium's electronic structure is [Xe]4f14 5d10 6s2 6p1 so the first electron is p electron, and then the 2 s electrons for 3+.

Tin's electronic structure is [Kr]3f14 4d10 5s2 5p2 so the first two electrons are p electrons and the second 2 are s electrons for 4+.

Lead's electronic structure is [Xe]4f14 5d10 6s2 6p2 so for lead 2+ only the two p electrons are removed, leaving the s electrons. For lead 4+ the s electrons are also removed.

Answer: Tl-205

Thallium has 2 commonly occurring isotopes; Tl-203 (~30%) and Tl-205(~70%). Interestingly both of these nuclei are spin 1/2 and are therefore suitable for NMR.

Lead has a isotope with spin 1/2, but it is Pb-207, not Pb-208.

Tin actually has three spin 1/2 nuclei Sn-115(~0.3%) Sn-117 (~7.6%) & Sn-119 (~8.6%).

Indium also has 2 commonly occurring isotopes; In-113 (~4.3%) and In-115 (95.7%). They are both spin 9/2. In-125 does not occur naturally.

Answer: octahedral

While octahedral geometries are usually more common for compounds containing d-block elements they can exist for p-block compounds as well.

Trigonal bipyramidal requires 5 ligands
square planar requires 4
and square antiprism require 8

Answer: False

An organometallic compound is defined, as one in which there is a metal-carbon bond. A thallium alkoxide has an oxygen atom coordinated to a thallium atom. The "alk" does imply organic, but there are no metal-carbon bonds in thallium alkoxides.

Answer: Thallium

Antimony is in the fifth row and has an atomic radius of 1.45 angstroms, whereas the others are in the sixth row. While thallium is the lightest of the 6th row elements listed, its atomic radius is 1.90 angstroms, lead's is 1.80 angstroms and bismuth's is 1.60 angstroms.

This is related to Z effective. Lead and bismuth have a higher nuclear charge than thallium and each electron with a charge of 1- does not entirely cancel out the 1+ from a proton and so with a higher nuclear charge, the electron cloud is pulled in tighter to the nucleus giving you a smaller atom.

Answer: True

Bismuth occurs as Bi-209 (100%). Spin 9/2.

Answer: Antimony (Sb)

Indium melts at about 430 K
Tin melts at about 505 K
Antimony melts at about 904 K
Tellurium melts at about 723 K