Characteristic of chalcogens

Answer 1

The chalcogens are group 16 on the Periodic Table, O, S, Se, Te, Po.

The most common oxidation states for the lighter memebers O, S, SE is -2.. The electronegativity of O, 3.44, is much higher than the next element sulfur, 2.58, and has a greater tendency to form ionic compounds. The electronegativites fall from sulfur down to polonium.

Oxygen is the exception in terms of its most stable allotrope which is O2 a diatomic gas. The other members of the group are solids at room temperature. S has a very large number of allotropes, the most familiar of which is S8 a ring compound. Sealo has a number of allotropes including Se8 and chain polymeric forms. Tellurium is a metalloid. Polonium is usually classed as a metalloid although it is a borderline metal.

All members form compounds with hydrogen H2O is well known! H2S is a toxic gas at room temperature. H2Se is a gas and is more toxic. H2Te is an unstable gas. PoH2 is also an unstable gas

Sulfur and the others all form compounds with oxygen. The sulfur oxides are acidic but as you go down the group the acidity reduces. Sulfur has a number including SO2 and SO3 . Selenium dioxide is a gas, the trioxide is an unstable solid which contains cyclic tetramers Se4O10. Tellurium has solid dioxides and trioxides, as does polonium. The tellurium oxides are amphoteric. Polonium also forms a monoxide. PoO.