Which of the following elements can show covalency greater than 4?

Options

A. Be
B. p-block
C. S
D. B

Explanation

To determine which of the given elements can show covalency greater than 4, we need to understand the concept of covalency and the conditions under which it can exceed 4.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Covalency**:
- Covalency refers to the number of shared pairs of electrons between atoms in a molecule. It indicates how many covalent bonds an atom can form.
- The maximum covalency for an element is typically 4, as it can share up to 4 electrons to complete its octet.

2. **Role of Vacant d-Orbitals**:
- Elements can exceed a covalency of 4 if they have vacant d-orbitals available for bonding. This is particularly relevant for elements in the third period and beyond of the periodic table.

3. **Analyzing the Elements**:
- We need to analyze the given options to see which elements have vacant d-orbitals.
- For example:
- **Carbon (C)**: Atomic number 6, electronic configuration is 1s² 2s² 2p². It can form a maximum of 4 covalent bonds (covalency = 4).
- **Beryllium (Be)**: Atomic number 4, electronic configuration is 1s² 2s². It can form a maximum of 2 covalent bonds (covalency = 2).
- **Boron (B)**: Atomic number 5, electronic configuration is 1s² 2s² 2p¹. It can form a maximum of 3 covalent bonds (covalency = 3).
- **Sulfur (S)**: Atomic number 16, electronic configuration is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁴. Sulfur has vacant d-orbitals and can form up to 6 covalent bonds (covalency = 6).

4. **Conclusion**:
- Among the elements analyzed, only **Sulfur (S)** can exhibit a covalency greater than 4 due to the presence of vacant d-orbitals.

### Final Answer:
The element that can show covalency greater than 4 is **Sulfur (S)**.