Group 8 element

For "Group VIII", the rightmost group on the Periodic Table, see noble gas.

Group →	4
↓ Period
4	26 Fe
5	44 Ru
6	76 Os
7	108 Hs
Legend Transition metal Primordial element Synthetic

A Group 8 element is one in the series of elements in group 8 (IUPAC style) in the periodic table, which consists of the transition metals iron (Fe), ruthenium (Ru), osmium (Os) and hassium (Hs).

Like other groups, the members of this family show patterns in its electron configuration, especially the outermost shells resulting in trends in chemical behavior.

"Group 8" is the new IUPAC name for this group; the old style name was "group VIIIA" in the old European system or "group VIIIB" in the old US system. Group 8 must not be confused with the group with the old-style group names of either VIIIB (European system) or VIIIA (US system); that group is now called group 18.

Chemistry

H																	He
Li	Be											B	C	N	O	F	Ne
Na	Mg											Al	Si	P	S	Cl	Ar
K	Ca	Sc	Ti	V	Cr	Mn	Fe	Co	Ni	Cu	Zn	Ga	Ge	As	Se	Br	Kr
Rb	Sr	Y	Zr	Nb	Mo	Tc	Ru	Rh	Pd	Ag	Cd	In	Sn	Sb	Te	I	Xe
Cs	Ba	*	Hf	Ta	W	Re	Os	Ir	Pt	Au	Hg	Tl	Pb	Bi	Po	At	Rn
Fr	Ra	**	Rf	Db	Sg	Bh	Hs	Mt	Ds	Rg	Cn	Uut	Uuq	Uup	Uuh	Uus	Uuo
		*	La	Ce	Pr	Nd	Pm	Sm	Eu	Gd	Tb	Dy	Ho	Er	Tm	Yb	Lu
		**	Ac	Th	Pa	U	Np	Pu	Am	Cm	Bk	Cf	Es	Fm	Md	No	Lr

Group 8 in the periodic table

Z	Element	No. of electrons/shell
26	iron	2, 8, 14, 2
44	ruthenium	2, 8, 18, 15, 1
76	osmium	2, 8, 18, 32, 14, 2
108	hassium	2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 14, 2

Hassium has not been isolated in pure form, and its properties have not been conclusively observed; only iron, ruthenium, and osmium have had their properties experimentally confirmed. All three elements are typical silvery-white transition metals, hard, and have high melting and boiling points.

History

Iron has been used since antiquity to make tools.

Iron has been known and used to make tools since antiquity. Ruthenium was first identified in 1844 in platinum ores, after all other platinum group metals, including Osmium, which was discovered in 1803; by dissolving impure platinum, salts were created. In a graphite-like dust always found in these salts, it was concluded that a new metal must be present, which would be Osmium. Ruthenium was first discovered in the form of ruthenium oxide in a similar manner. Hassium was discovered in 1984 by a team led by Peter Armbruster and Gottfried Münzenberg by bombarding lead-208 with iron-58.

Occurence

Iron is the most common element within the entire earth; most of the core is iron and there is a substantial amount of iron in the mantle and crust as well. Ruthenium and osmium are two of the rarest elements on earth, with ruthenium only found in small amounts in platinum ores. Osmium is the least abundant stable element in the earth's crust, only found in minor traces in platinum ores. Hassium is only produced in nuclear reactors and has never been observed in nature nor isolated in pure form.

Biological Occurence

Iron is an essential nutrient for all living organisms, from archaea to humans. It is a major component in hemoglobin, a protein that makes blood red and transfers oxygen to muscles, and is also found in many other proteins. Ruthenium, osmium, and hassium have no known role in the human body.

See also

Explanation of right side periodic table slice:

Transition metals

atomic number in black are solids

solid borders are older than the Earth (Primordial elements)

dotted borders are made artificially (Synthetic elements)