Group VA Nitrogen and the Phosphorus Family

Silicon reacts with all of the halogens to form silicon halides. For example, SiCLj can be formed by the reaction 

This reaction is of particular use to the semiconductor industry because the SiCLj product can be used as a source of ultrapure silicon. All of the silicon halides are very reactive and volatile. 

Like the carbon family of elements, the Group VA elements show the distinct trend of increasing metallic character as you go from top to bottom of the column. The first members, nitrogen and phosphorus, are nonmetaUic arsenic and antimony are metalloids bismnth is a metal. 

Nitrogen, N2, is fixed (converted to compounds) by bacteria, by lightning,and by the industrial synthesis of ammonia. Fixed nitrogen is used by plants and enters the food chain of animals. Later, plant and animal wastes decompose. Denitrifying bacteria complete the cycle by producing free nitrogen again. 

Because the nitride ion,, is a very strong base, ionic nitrides react with water, producing ammonia. 

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Nitrogen is the first member in Group 15 (VA) of the periodic table. The periodic table is a chart that shows how chemical elements are related to one another. Nitrogen is in a family group named after itself Other elements in the nitrogen family are phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, and bismuth. 

The Group VA elements provide a dramatic illustration of the vertical trends in metallic properties. In this family, nitrogen and phosphorus are nonmetals, arsenic is predominantly nonmetallic, antimony is more metallic, and bismuth is definitely metallic. Properties of the Group VA elements are listed in Table 24-7. 

The Group VA is the nitrogen family. The group consists of nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, and bismuth. Nitrogen is a diatomic, colorless, and odorless gas, and is not a very reactive element. The Group VA elements have a valence shell configuration of os np ... 

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