Definition of Representative Elements



The modern periodic table is divided into certain groups of elements on the basis of their chemical characteristics. One of the groups of elements is known as the representative elements and it is also the main group of the periodic table. The elements belonging to groups 1 (excluding hydrogen), 2, 13, 14,15,16,17 and 18 are the representative elements.

 


Some of the representative elements are helium, lithium, boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine, etc. The characteristic of the group 1 and 2 is that they have single oxidation state whereas group 13-18 have multiple oxidation states. The representative elements are also known to be the most abundant elements.

 

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