GROUP IVA

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CARBON

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SILICON

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GERMANIUM

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TIN

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LEAD

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The elements in this group have four electrons in their outer electronic shell. Thus, each element in this group has a tendency to share these four electrons, to form covalent compounds, thereby gaining the stable electronic configuration of its neighboring Nobel Gas element in the periodic table.

The elements in Group IVA can be divided into three classes:

  • carbon, which is a nonmetal;

  • silicon and germanium, which are semimetals; and

  • tin and lead, which are metals.