GROUP 16: THE OXYGEN GROUP

Chalcogens Overview

Also known as: Chalcogens

Elements: Oxygen (O), Sulfur (S), Selenium (Se), Tellurium (Te), Polonium (Po), Livermorium (Lv)

Common Properties: Six valence electrons (ns²np⁴), transition from nonmetals to metals down the group

O

Oxygen

Life-Sustaining
Atomic Number 8
Atomic Mass 16.00 u
Electron Config [He] 2s² 2p⁴
Common Ions O²⁻
Melting Point -219°C
Density 1.43 g/L (gas)
Oxygen is the third most abundant element in the universe and makes up about 21% of Earth's atmosphere - essential for most life forms!

Properties: Colorless, odorless gas, diatomic (O₂), highly reactive

Applications: Life support, steel production, medicine, water treatment

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S

Sulfur

Yellow Solid
Atomic Number 16
Atomic Mass 32.06 u
Electron Config [Ne] 3s² 3p⁴
Common Ions S²⁻
Melting Point 115°C
Density 2.07 g/cm³
Sulfur is mentioned in the Bible as "brimstone" and has that characteristic "rotten egg" smell when certain compounds form!

Properties: Yellow solid, multiple allotropes, burns with blue flame

Applications: Sulfuric acid, fertilizers, gunpowder, rubber vulcanization

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Se

Selenium

Photoconductive
Atomic Number 34
Atomic Mass 78.97 u
Electron Config [Ar] 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁴
Common Ions Se²⁻
Melting Point 221°C
Density 4.81 g/cm³
Selenium is named after the Greek word for Moon (Selene) and is essential for human health in tiny amounts - it's in Brazil nuts!

Properties: Metalloid, semiconductor, photoconductive

Applications: Photocopiers, solar cells, glass coloring, electronics

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Te

Tellurium

Metalloid
Atomic Number 52
Atomic Mass 127.60 u
Electron Config [Kr] 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁴
Common Ions Te²⁻
Melting Point 450°C
Density 6.24 g/cm³
Tellurium is one of the rarest stable solid elements in Earth's crust, and people who work with it can develop "tellurium breath" that smells like garlic!

Properties: Metalloid, silvery-white, brittle

Applications: Solar panels, thermoelectric devices, alloys, rubber

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Po

Polonium

Radioactive
Atomic Number 84
Atomic Mass [209] u
Electron Config [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁴
Common Ions Po²⁺, Po⁴⁺
Melting Point 254°C
Density 9.20 g/cm³
Polonium is so radioactive that it gets hot enough to glow - Marie Curie discovered it and named it after her home country Poland!

Properties: Radioactive metal, highly toxic, rare

Applications: Static eliminators, heat sources, nuclear batteries

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Lv

Livermorium

Synthetic
Atomic Number 116
Atomic Mass [293] u
Electron Config [Rn] 5f¹⁴ 6d¹⁰ 7s² 7p⁴ (predicted)
Common Ions Lv²⁺ (predicted)
Half-life ~60 ms
Stability Synthetic
Livermorium is named after the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, which collaborated with Russian scientists to discover it!

Properties: Synthetic, radioactive, extremely unstable

Applications: Scientific research only

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