Given below are the atomic numbers of some group 14 elements. The atomic number of the element with lowest melting point is :
- (A)14
- (B)6
- (C)82
- (D)50✓ Correct
Answer: (D)
Solution
Melting point across Group 14 falls in the order . Carbon, silicon and germanium retain strong, directional covalent-network lattices that need large energies to break, giving them high melting points, while tin and lead are essentially metallic with weaker, non-directional metallic bonding. Between the two metallic members, tin (Z = 50, melting near 232 °C) melts lower than lead (Z = 82, melting near 327 °C), so the element with atomic number 50 has the lowest melting point in the group.
JEE Main · 2025 · 23 Jan 2025 · Shift 2 · Single correct option