Video Transcript
Which of the group 15 elements are
considered to be nonmetals? (A) Nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic,
and antimony. (B) Phosphorus, arsenic, and
antimony. (C) Nitrogen, phosphorus, and
arsenic. (D) Nitrogen and phosphorus. (E) Phosphorus and arsenic.
A group is a collection of
chemically or electronically similar elements. Elements of the same group are
found in the same column of the periodic table. Group 15, also called the
pnictogens, consists of the elements nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony,
bismuth, and moscovium. To answer this question, we need to
know which of these elements are considered to be nonmetals.
The elements of the periodic table
can be classified as metals, nonmetals, or metalloids. We can see that as we descend group
15, the elements become more metallic. Nitrogen and phosphorus are
nonmetals, arsenic and antimony are metalloids, and bismuth and moscovium are
metals.
In conclusion, the group 15
elements that are considered to be nonmetals are nitrogen and phosphorus, answer
choice (D).
