Electronic configuration elements

Phosphoms shows a range of oxidation states from —3 to +5 by virtue of its electronic configuration. Elemental P is oxidized easily by nonmetals such as oxygen, sulfur, and halides to form compounds such as 2 5 2 5 reduced upon reaction with metals to generate phosphides. The... 

The properties of chemical elements are periodic functions of their atomic number (Masterton etal. 1986). As one moves across a period or do vn a group of the Periodic Table, the physical properties of elements change in a smooth, regular fashion. Within a given group, the elements show very similar chemical properties, because they have the same outer-electron configuration. Elements may thus be classified as fol-loivs ... 

Elements combine to form compounds because, as we learned from the Bohr model, only a few elements (namely the noble gases) exist as isolated atoms with stable electron configurations. Elements with unstable electron configurations will usually form compounds with other elements to gain stability. We divide compounds into two types-ionic and molecular-based on whether their constituent elements transfer electrons or share electrons to attain stability. 

The form of the periodic table is determined by electron configurations. Elements with the same number of electrons in the outer (valence) shell have similar chemical properties. For example, all of the inert gases have eight electrons in the outer shell, corresponding to a stable configuration with fiiUy occupied r and p subshells in the outer shell. 

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