Question

What are group B elements called?

Answer 1

Hint: A group or family refers to the bunch of elements having similar properties. The elements in a group are placed vertically together in a periodic table. Group B is the entire block of groups 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 in the modern periodic table.

Complete Step by Step Solution:
According to the CAS system, A group elements are called representative elements or also called the main group which include the current IUPAC group \[1 - 2\] (s block) and group \[13 - 18\] (p block). Group B elements are called transition elements or current IUPAC group \[3 - 12\] that are the d block elements.

The latest IUPAC groups \[1,{\text{ }}2,{\text{ }}13,{\text{ }}14,{\text{ }}15,{\text{ }}16,{\text{ }}17,{\text{ }}18\]are IA, IIA, IIA, IVA, VA, VIA, VIIA, VIIIA respectively in CAS system. Similarly latest IUPAC group \[3,{\text{ }}4,{\text{ }}5,{\text{ }}6,{\text{ }}7,{\text{ }}8,{\text{ }}9,{\text{ }}10,{\text{ }}11\]are IIIB, IVB, VB, VIB, VIIB, VIIIB, VIIIB, VIIIB, IB, IIB.

The transition elements are called so because they lie in between s block and p block elements and show transitional behaviour and their properties lie between those two extreme ionic s block elements and covalent p block elements. They act as a bridge between s block and p block.

D block elements have general electronic configuration\[\left( {{\mathbf{n}} - {\mathbf{1}}} \right){\mathbf{d}}{\;^{{\mathbf{1}} - {\mathbf{10}}}}{\mathbf{ns}}{\;^{{\mathbf{1}} - {\mathbf{2}}}}\].

\[Zn,{\text{ }}Cd,Hg\] belong to group \[12\] according to the latest IUPAC system but have completely filled d-orbital and hence not called transition elements

Note: another system that existed was the old IUPAC system that actually gave birth to the latest IUPAC system. The old IUPAC also used letters A and B to divide the left and right side of the periodic table. Left side of the periodic table is named A till group \[10\] and right is named as B.