why is He in the P block of the periodic table?

Question

please can you explain why He is in the P block of the periodic table if it only has 2 electrons?

Answer 1

Elements are grouped in the periodic table such that elements with similar chemical and physical properties are in the same group (column) in the periodic table. Helium is a member of the noble gas family since it is relatively nonreactive and has a complete outer shell of electrons.



To address your concern, it turns out that elements with filled s and p subshells are particularly stable (8 electrons); this is the basis of the octet rule. Well, it turns out that for principal energy level n=1 there is only an s subshell. The s subshell is filled with only two electrons yielding a complete outer shell. Thus He reaches its "octet" with only a "duet" of electrons.



I hope this helps!

Answer 2

Hello Lex, Look at your periodic table in your text or google a good one and check the numbers at the top of each vertical row. For example the s block has the numbers on my periodic table, lA and IIA the p block has numbers, from 3B to 7B d block, from 3A through 8A ending with l B and II B f block On my periodic table the whole f block falls under the III A column.

Answer 3

I don't know what your talking about, it's in the s-block. Period 1 doesn't belong in p-block. Periods 2-7 and groups 13-18 do. That would be:



Boron (B)

Carbon(C)

Nitrogen(N)

Oxygen(O)

Fluorine(F)

Neon(Ne)

Aluminum(Al)

Silicon(Si)

Phosphorus(P)

Sulfur(S)

Chlorine(Cl)

Argon(Ar)

Gallium(Ga)

Germanium(Ge)

Arsenic(As)

Selenium(Se)

Bromine(Br)

Krypton(Kr)

Indium(In)

Tin(Sn)

Antimony(Sb)

Tellurium(Te)

Iodine(I)

Xenon(Xe)

Thallium(Tl)

Lead(Pb)

Bismuth(Bi)

Polonium(Po)

Astatine(At)

Radon(Rn)

Ununtrium(Uut)

Ununquadium(Uuq)

Ununpentium(Uup)

Ununhexium(Uuh)

Ununseptium(Uus)

Ununoctium(Uuo)