Question

Representative elements belong to:
A. s- and p-blocks
B. d-block
C. d- and f- blocks
D. f-blocks

Answer 1

Hint: We must understand that the representative elements relate to their electronic configuration, also representative elements do not exhibit variable valences. Representative elements have their internal orbits completely filled.
We must remember that the main group is the group of elements whose lightest members are represented by helium, lithium, beryllium, boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and fluorine as arranged in the periodic table of the elements.

Complete step by step answer:
Let’s start with what actually we understand by the term representative elements. Well the term representative here means the elements whose internal orbits are completely filled except the outer orbits. So with this we have an idea what kind of elements we are searching for.
In case of s- and p- blocks elements, all the internal orbits are completely filled and only the outermost orbit is unfilled. But in case of d-block elements such as iron and zinc, these elements have d orbits which start filling after the s orbit leaving the p orbit empty. Same is the case with the f-block element here f orbit starts filling before p and d orbits.
So the answer to this question is A. s- and p-blocks. This means the representative element belongs to s- and p- blocks.

Additional Information:
d- and f-block elements are usually known as transition elements.
The periodic table is divided into two sets namely the representative elements and the transition elements.
Furthermore the d- and f-block elements are divided into outside transition elements and inner transition elements respectively.
One characteristic of transition elements is that they display variable valence, for example iron has two valences of 2 and 3.

Note: We must know that the periodic table contains a large amount of information regarding each element and how they relate to each other. To understand this we should have a thorough understanding of the electronic configurations along with physical and chemical properties of these elements.