p-Block Elements – Trends in Groups 13 to 16
ChemistryInorganic ChemistryAges 15–16
Use it with your class: students open it from a link or a QR code, with no account needed.
Next in Inorganic Chemistry
Explore groups 13–16: atomic radius, ionisation enthalpy and electronegativity down each group, the stable oxidation states and the inert pair effect, and why B, C, N and O differ from the heavier members. Rotate diamond, graphite and C₆₀, test oxides with water, acid and alkali to find their character, and compare the bond angles and bond enthalpies of the hydrides from NH₃ to BiH₃ and from H₂O to H₂Te.
Lesson: p-Block elements: groups 13 to 16
What it shows
Groups 13 to 16 fill the p subshell, and their properties change down each group in ways that are not always smooth. Students compare atomic radius, ionisation enthalpy and electronegativity for 20 elements and find the irregularities caused by poorly shielding d and f electrons. They see why the heavy elements prefer the lower oxidation state (the inert pair effect), why boron, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen differ from the rest, how the allotropes of carbon are built, how the acid–base character of the oxides changes, and why the hydrides become less stable down a group.
How to use
In the Trends tab choose a Property, tap an element and press Record. The Oxidation states tab shows how stable each state is, and the B, C, N, O tab compares each first member with the next one. In the Carbon tab drag to rotate the structures. In the Oxides tab pick an Oxide, press Test and choose its character. In the Hydrides tab record each hydride and read the graph.
Parameters you can change
- Tab Trends, Oxidation states, B, C, N, O, Carbon, Oxides, Hydrides
- Group 13, 14, 15, 16
- Property Atomic radius, Ionisation enthalpy, Electronegativity
- Allotrope Diamond, Graphite, Fullerene C₆₀
Questions to explore
- Why is the gallium atom slightly smaller than the aluminium atom, although it has one more shell?
- Why is PbO₂ a strong oxidising agent while SnO₂ is not?
- How does the acid–base character of the oxides change down group 15?
