Carbon Family

The carbon family is element group 14 of the periodic table. Here are some facts about the carbon family:

• The carbon family consists of carbon, silicon, germanium, tin and lead.

• Carbon family elements contain atoms that have 4 electrons in their outer energy level.

• As you move down the periodic table in the carbon family the atomic radius increases while ionization energy decreases.

• The carbon family consists of one nonmetal (carbon), two metalloids (silicon and germanium) and two metals (tin and lead).
• The carbon family elements have widely variable physical and chemical properties.

• The carbon family elements tend to be fairly unreactive.

• The elements tend to form covalent compounds, though tin and lead also form ionic compounds.

• Carbon family elements exist free in nature and in compounds.

Reference: Modern Chemistry (South Carolina). Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Harcourt Education (2009).

Carbon Family - Group 14 - Element Facts

	C	Si	Ge	Sn	Pb
melting point (°C)	3500 (diamond)	1410	937.4	231.88	327.502
boiling point (°C)	4827	2355	2830	2260	1740
density (g/cm3)	3.51 (diamond)	2.33	5.323	7.28	11.343
ionization energy (kJ/mol)	1086	787	762	709	716
atomic radius (pm)	77	118	122	140	175
ionic radius (pm)	260 (C4-)	--	--	118 (Sn2+)	119 (Pb2+)
usual oxidation number	+3, -4	+4	+2, +4	+2, +4	+2, +3
hardness (Mohs)	10 (diamond)	6.5	6.0	1.5	1.5
crystal structure	cubic (diamond)	cubic	cubic	tetragonal	fcc