Some Representative Groups and Families

13

These skills are usually tested on the SAT Subject Test in Chemistry. You
should be able to...

Describe the properties, both physical and chemical, of the major

members of each group and family, and the common compounds

formed by the sulfur, halogen, and nitrogen families and by major

metals and their alloys.

Write equations for major reactions involving these elements.

This chapter will review and strengthen these skills. Be sure to do the
Practice Exercises at the end of the chapter.

In the following section, a brief description is given of some of the important and

representative groups of elements usually discussed in most first-year chemistry
courses.

SULFUR FAMILY

Since we discussed oxygen in Chapter 5, the most important element in this family
left to discuss is sulfur.
Sulfur is found free in the volcanic regions of Japan, Mexico, and Sicily. It is
removed from the rock mixtures by heating in retorts or furnaces.

Table 12. Allotropic Forms of Sulfur