Atomic number of an element is 16. State the group to which it belongs.

Answer

To determine the group of an element with an atomic number of 16, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Element**:
The atomic number of the element is given as 16. This means the element has 16 protons in its nucleus.

2. **Determine the Electronic Configuration**:
The electronic configuration can be determined by filling the orbitals according to the Aufbau principle. For atomic number 16, the electronic configuration is:
\[ 1s^2 \, 2s^2 \, 2p^6 \, 3s^2 \, 3p^4 \]

3. **Identify the Valence Electrons**:
The valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell. For the element with atomic number 16, the outermost shell is the third shell (n=3), which contains:
- 2 electrons in the 3s subshell
- 4 electrons in the 3p subshell
Therefore, the total number of valence electrons is:
\[ 2 + 4 = 6 \]

4. **Determine the Block**:
Since the valence electrons are in the p orbital (3p), this element belongs to the p-block of the periodic table.

5. **Calculate the Group Number**:
For p-block elements, the group number can be calculated using the formula:
\[ \text{Group Number} = \text{Number of Valence Electrons} + 10 \]
Substituting the number of valence electrons:
\[ \text{Group Number} = 6 + 10 = 16 \]

6. **Conclusion**:
Therefore, the element with atomic number 16 belongs to group 16 of the periodic table. This element is sulfur (S).

### Final Answer:
The element with atomic number 16 belongs to group 16.

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