Chemistry help?

Question

This is the specific question that I was asked that I can't answer:

Carbon is a nonmetal, silicon is a metalloid, and tin is a metal. They are all in the same family. Yet, they all possess different behaviors! Why? If you can properly answer this question, then you truly have a grip on this unit.

Anyone know? Thanks :)

Answer 1

Even though C, Si, and Sn are all in the same family, they are indifferent period. Carbon is in the second period, silicon in the third, and tin in the fourth. Hence, tin has one more inner shell of electrons than silicon, which has one more inner shell of electrons than carbon. Due to the additional inner shell/s of electrons, the nuclear attraction felt by the valence electrons are weakened. Thus the valence electrons are easier to be ionized than the valence electrons of Si, which in turn easier to be ionized than the valence electrons of C. The easiness of ionization really determines the metal characters. Thus, tin is metal, silicon is semiconduct, while C is none-metal.