Question

Which of the following elements occur free in nature?
(A) Nitrogen.
(B) Phosphorus.
(C) Arsenic.
(D) Antimony.

Answer 1

Hint : We know that many elements are found in the earth’s crust. Some of them combine with atmospheric oxygen and form oxides, some combine with atmospheric sulphur and form sulphates, and many more. The element already has its octet of electrons complete, therefore no bonding is required for their stability.

Complete Step By Step Answer:
First, we are going to define the free state of an element. Those elements which are not combined with or chemically bonded to other elements are called the element in Free State. In other words, all the atoms of the element are in Free State and have an oxidation number of zero. Generally, it is hard to find a metal in a pure state as almost most of them are found in the form of alloys, ores and other compounds. But still there are few metals which exist in their native state. Metals that can be found as native deposits or alloys generally include aluminum, cobalt, titanium, tungsten, arsenic, bismuth etc.
Rather, Free State elements are stable even without combining. But combined state elements are those who exist in the combined form always. If they are meant to exist in a free state, then it would be really unstable. Most of the metals which are present in the periodic table are extremely reactive. The nitrogen which exists free in nature is made up of $78$ of Earth's atmosphere and naturally found in mineral deposits, soil and organic compounds.
As a result, these metals are found in chemical compound form in nature. But there are some exceptions; metals which are extremely less reactive can be found not in any sort of compound formation. Due to their less reactive nature they are not affected by the action of other chemicals present in the atmosphere, hence, we can easily find them in their free state in nature.
Therefore, the correct answer is option A.

Note :
Note that among the allotropes of carbon, diamond has a cubic crystal structure. Graphite is the most stable allotrope and is formed under excess pressure and temperature. Fullerene has a large spherical structure and the atoms are $s{{p}^{2}}$ hybridized.