Carbon family of elements

One way to classify elements is by the family to which they belong. A family of elements consists of homologous elements to which it is named, that is, atoms that have the same number of valence electrons and therefore similar chemical properties. Some examples of families of elements are: the nitrogen family, the oxygen family, and the carbon family. In this article, we will talk especially about the carbon family.

What is the carbon family?

The carbon family is group 14 of the periodic table. It consists of five elements: carbon, silicon, germanium, tin and lead. It is likely that element 114, flerovium, also behaves in some respects as a member of this family. The carbon family sits roughly in the middle of the periodic table, with the nonmetals on the right and the metals on the left. It is also known as carbon group, group of crystallogenic elements, group 14 or group IV. 

Characteristics of the carbon family

Here are some facts about the carbon family:

• Elements in the carbon family contain atoms that have 4 electrons in their outer energy level. Two of these electrons are in the s subshell , while the other 2 are in the p subshell . Only the carbon has the s2 exterior configuration, which explains some of the differences between the carbon and other items in the family.
• As you move up the carbon family on the periodic table, the atomic radius and ionic radius increase, while the electronegativity and ionization energy decrease. The size of the atom increases going down the group, because an extra electron shell is added. 
• The density of the elements increases as you go down the group.
• The carbon family consists of one nonmetal (carbon), two metalloids (silicon and germanium), and two metals (tin and lead). In other words, the elements gain metallicity as you go down the group.
• These elements are found in a wide variety of compounds. Carbon is the only element in the group that can be found pure in nature.
• Elements in the carbon family have highly variable physical and chemical properties.
• In general, the elements of the carbon family are stable and tend to be unreactive.
• Elements tend to form covalent compounds, although tin and lead also form ionic compounds.
• With the exception of lead, all the elements in the carbon family exist in different forms or allotropes. Carbon, for example, is found in diamonds, graphite, fullerene, and allotropes of amorphous carbon. Tin occurs as white tin, gray tin, and rhombic tin. Lead is found only as a dense, bluish-gray metal.
• Elements in group 14 (carbon family) have much higher melting and boiling points than elements in group 13. Melting and boiling points in the carbon family tend to decrease as you move down the group. This is mainly because the atomic forces inside larger molecules are not as strong. Lead, for example, has such a low melting point that it is easily liquefied by fire, making it useful as a solder base.

Uses of the elements and compounds of the carbon family

The elements of the carbon family are important in daily life and in industry since carbon is the basis of biochemistry and organic life. Its allotrope graphite is used in pencils and rockets. Living organisms, proteins, plastics, food, and organic building materials all contain carbon. Silicones, which are silicon compounds, are used to make lubricants and for vacuum pumps. Silicon is used as an oxide to make glass. Germanium and silicon are important semiconductors . Tin and lead are used in alloys and to make pigments.

Data for the elements of the carbon family (Group 14)

References

Claramunt, R. (2013). Main chemical compounds. Editorial UNED. Available at: https://books.google.co.ve/books?id=K45iAgAAQBAJ&dq

Gutierrez, E. (1984). Chemistry. reverse. Available at: https://books.google.co.ve/books?id=6h32OtElkAsC&dq