Question

What is Group 12 on the periodic table called?

Answer 1

The features of Group 12 are as follows:

1. Group 12 is a group of chemical elements in the periodic table that comprises Zinc ($\mathrm{Zn}$), Cadmium ($\mathrm{Cd}$), and Mercury ($\mathrm{Hg}$), and new research on individual copernicium atoms support the inclusion of Copernicium ($\mathrm{Cn}$).
2. Zinc, Cadmium, and Mercury are the three naturally occurring Group 12 elements. They're all employed in electric and electrical applications, as well as other alloys.
3. Because they are solid metals under normal conditions, the first two members of the group have similar properties. At room temperature, Mercury is the only metal that is a liquid. While Zinc is essential for living species' biochemistry, Cadmium and Mercury are also extremely poisonous. Copernicium must be manufactured in the laboratory because it does not occur naturally.
4. Group 12 elements are all divalent, soft, and diamagnetic metals with the lowest melting points of among the transition metals.
5. Zinc is bluish-white and glossy, although most common industrial grades have a dull finish and are referred to as spelter in nonscientific contexts. Cadmium is a bluish-white metal that is soft, malleable, and ductile. Mercury is a liquid, heavy, silvery-white metal that is the only common liquid metal at ordinary temperatures. It is a poor conductor of heat but a good conductor of electricity when compared to other metals.
6. The valence electronic configuration of Group 12 elements are $\left(\mathrm{n}-1\right){\mathrm{d}}^{10}{\mathrm{ns}}^2$ because the d-shell is full, they are considered d-block elements but not transition elements.
7. All Group 12 elements have the same oxidation state of +2, and the chemistry of zinc and cadmium compounds, in particular, is highly similar to that of magnesium derivatives.
8. The atomic number of Zinc, Cadmium, Mercury, and Copernicium are 30, 48, 80, and 112.
9. This Group's elements have periods ranging from 4 to 7, with valence shells ranging from 4 to 7.
10. The atomic radii of the Group 12 elements are:

Elements	Atomic radii (pm)
Zinc	135
Cadmium	155
Mercury	150
Copernicium	147 (predicted)