The oxygen group is the VIA group on the periodic table that contains oxygen.
The oxygen group elements are also known as chalcogens. The elements are oxygen (O), sulfur (S), selenium (Se), tellurium (Te), polonium (Po), and livermorium (Li). This group contains non-metals and metalloids. Each element in this group has six valence electrons and have small atomic radii and large ionic radii. Many of these elements at high concentrations are toxic or damaging.
Oxygen and sulfur are chemically similar because sulfur is directly below oxygen in the periodic table. These elements have similar electron configurations. As a result, sulfur forms many compounds that are analogues of oxygen compounds.
Key Points
• The oxygen group is also known as chalcogens.
• Each element in this group has six valence electrons
• They have small atomic radii and large ionic radii
• Oxygen and sulfur are very similar
Key Terms
atomic radius: the average distance between a nucleus and its outermost electron
ionic radii: the average distance from the center of the nucleus to the edge of its electron cloud
metalloid: an element that has properties that are intermediate between those of metals and nonmetals
nonmetal: is a chemical element that mostly lacks the characteristics of a metal
analogues: a compound having a structure similar to that of another compound, but differing from it in respect to a certain component
