Question

Which of the following statements regarding group 16 elements is not true?

(a) The electronic configuration of Oxygen is [He]2s^22p^4

(b) The electronic configuration of Sulphur is [Ne]3s^23p^4

(c) The atomic radii of the elements of group 16 are larger than those of the corresponding elements of group 15

(d) The electronic configuration of Tellurium is [Kr]4d^105s^25p^4

The question was posed to me during an internship interview.

This is a very interesting question from P-Block in chapter P-Block Elements of Chemistry – Class 12

Answer 1

Correct option is (c) The atomic radii of the elements of group 16 are larger than those of the corresponding elements of group 15

The best I can explain: When you move across the periodic table, from left to right, the atomic size of the respective elements decreases due to increase in nuclear charge. Therefore, the atomic radii of the elements of group 16 are smaller than those of the corresponding elements of group 15.