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Question: Which group III element is expected to have physical and chemical properties that are least similar ...

Which group III element is expected to have physical and chemical properties that are least similar to the other elements in that family?
(A) B
(B) Al
(C) Ga
(D) Tl

Explanation

Solution

Periodic table: It is defined as the table in which all the elements are arranged in a systematic order i.e. the elements having the same properties are categorized in the same group. This is the modern periodic table

Complete step by step solution
Let us first talk about modern periodic tables.
Periodic table is a table made to place the elements in a systematic order (i.e. according to the increasing atomic number). There are two components in a periodic table i.e. periods (horizontal lines) and groups (vertical lines).
Periods: The horizontal lines in the periodic table are known as periods. There are a total seven horizontal i.e. seven periods in a periodic table. And they are named as period one, period two and so on. In period first there are a total of two elements i.e. hydrogen and helium. In periods 22 and 33 there are eight elements in each. In periods 44 and 55 there are 1818 elements in each and in periods 66 and 77 there are 3232 elements in each period. Hence are total 112112 elements. Elements of the same period have different properties.
Groups: The vertical lines in the periodic table are known as groups. There are a total eighteen groups in the periodic table. And they are named as groups 1,2,3,1,2,3, and so on. The elements of the same group have almost the same chemical and physical properties. As we down in a group then its size increases and also volume of the atom increases as the number of electrons and protons increases. But the increase in mass is greater than that of increase in volume so the density which is defined as mass per unit volume will increase generally. But if increase in volume is greater than that of increase in mass then density will decrease in that case.
In III group element Boron is a metalloid while the rest other elements are non-metals.
Hence boron is the III group element which has physical and chemical properties that are least similar to the other elements in that family.
Hence option A is correct.

Note
Isotopes: Those elements which have the same atomic number but different atomic mass. For example: C12C - 12 and C13C - 13 . They both have the same atomic number i.e. 66 but different atomic mass i.e. in C12C - 12 mass is 1212 and in C13C - 13 mass is 1313 .
Isobars: Those elements which have the same atomic mass but different atomic numbers. For example: argon and calcium. The atomic number of argon is 1818 and that of calcium is 2020 but the atomic mass of both the elements is the same i.e. 4040 .