Editing Carbon group (section)

===Chemical===
Like other groups, the members of this family show patterns in [[electron configuration]], especially in the outermost shells, resulting in trends in chemical behavior:

{| class="wikitable" style="white-space:nowrap;"
|-
!''[[Atomic number|Z]]'' !! [[Chemical element|Element]] !! Electrons per [[Electron shell|shell]]
|-
| 6 || [[Carbon]] || 2, 4
|-
| 14 || [[Silicon]] || 2, 8, 4
|-
| 32 || [[Germanium]] || 2, 8, 18, 4
|-
| 50 || [[Tin]] || 2, 8, 18, 18, 4
|-
| 82 || [[Lead]] || 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 4
|-
| 114 || [[Flerovium]] || 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 18, 4<br/>(predicted)
|}

Each of the [[chemical element|elements]] in this group has 4 [[electron]]s in its outer [[electron shell|shell]]. An isolated, neutral group 14 atom has the ns<sup>2</sup>&nbsp;np<sup>2</sup> configuration in the ground state. These elements, especially [[carbon]] and [[silicon]], have a strong propensity for [[covalent bond]]ing, which usually brings the outer shell [[octet rule|to eight electrons]]. Bonds in these elements often lead to [[orbital hybridisation|hybridisation]] where distinct [[azimuthal quantum number|s and p characters]] of the orbitals are erased. For [[single bond]]s, a typical arrangement has [[tetrahedral molecular geometry|four pairs of sp<sup>3</sup> electrons]], although other cases exist too, such as three sp<sup>2</sup> pairs in [[graphene]] and graphite. Double bonds are characteristic for carbon ([[alkene]]s, {{CO2|link=yes}}...); the same for [[pi bond|π-systems]] in general. The tendency to lose electrons increases as the size of the [[atom]] increases, as it does with increasing atomic number.
Carbon alone forms negative [[ion]]s, in the form of [[carbide]] (C<sup>4−</sup>) ions.
Silicon and [[germanium]], both [[metalloid]]s, each can form +4 ions.
[[Tin]] and [[lead]] both are [[metal]]s, while flerovium is a synthetic, [[radioactive]] (its half life is very short, only 1.9 seconds) element that may have a few [[noble gas]]-like properties, though it is still most likely a post-transition metal. Tin and lead are both capable of forming +2 ions. Although tin is chemically a metal, [[α-tin|its α allotrope]] looks more like germanium than like a metal and it is a poor electric conductor.

Among main group (groups 1, 2, 13–17) alkyl derivatives QR<sub>''n''</sub>, where ''n'' is the standard bonding number for Q (''see'' [[IUPAC nomenclature of inorganic chemistry|lambda convention]]), the group 14 derivatives QR<sub>4</sub> are notable in being electron-precise: they are neither electron-deficient (having fewer electrons than an octet and tending to be Lewis acidic at Q and usually existing as oligomeric clusters or adducts with Lewis bases) nor electron-excessive (having lone pair(s) at Q and tending to be Lewis basic at Q).  As a result, the group 14 alkyls have low chemical reactivity relative to the alkyl derivatives of other groups.  In the case of carbon, the high bond dissociation energy of the [[C–C bond]] and lack of electronegativity difference between the central atom and the alkyl ligands render the saturated alkyl derivatives, the [[alkane]]s, particularly inert.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Crabtree |first=Robert H. |title=The organometallic chemistry of the transition metals |date=2005 |publisher=Wiley |isbn=978-0-471-66256-3 |edition=4 |location=Hoboken, N.J |pages=418}}</ref>

Carbon forms tetrahalides with all the [[halogen]]s. Carbon also forms [[carbon oxides|many oxides]] such as [[carbon monoxide]], [[carbon suboxide]], and [[carbon dioxide]]. Carbon forms [[Carbon disulfide|a disulfide]] an [[Carbon diselenide|a diselenide]].<ref>{{Citation|url = http://www.webelements.com/carbon/compounds.html|title = Carbon compounds|access-date = January 24, 2013}}</ref>

Silicon forms several hydrides; two of them are [[silane|SiH<sub>4</sub>]] and [[disilane|Si<sub>2</sub>H<sub>6</sub>]]. Silicon forms tetrahalides with fluorine ([[Silicon tetrafluoride|SiF<sub>4</sub>]]), chlorine ([[Silicon tetrachloride|SiCl<sub>4</sub>]]), bromine ([[Silicon tetrabromide|SiBr<sub>4</sub>]]), and iodine ([[Silicon tetraiodide|SiI<sub>4</sub>]]). Silicon also forms [[silicon dioxide|a dioxide]] and [[silicon disulfide|a disulfide]].<ref>{{Citation|url = http://www.webelements.com/silicon/compounds.html|title = Silicon compounds|access-date = January 24, 2013}}</ref> [[Silicon nitride]] has the formula Si<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>.<ref name="The Elements"/>

Germanium forms five hydrides. The first two germanium hydrides are [[germane|GeH<sub>4</sub>]] and [[digermane|Ge<sub>2</sub>H<sub>6</sub>]]. Germanium forms tetrahalides with all halogens except astatine and forms dihalides with all halogens except bromine and astatine. Germanium bonds to all natural single chalcogens except polonium, and forms dioxides, disulfides, and diselenides. [[Germanium nitride]] has the formula Ge<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>.<ref>{{Citation|url = http://www.webelements.com/germanium/compounds.html|title = Germanium compounds|access-date = January 24, 2013}}</ref>

Tin forms two hydrides: [[stannane|SnH<sub>4</sub>]] and [[distannane|Sn<sub>2</sub>H<sub>6</sub>]]. Tin forms dihalides and tetrahalides with all halogens except astatine. Tin forms monochalcogenides with naturally occurring chalcogens except polonium, and forms dichalcogenides with naturally occurring chalcogens except polonium and tellurium.<ref>{{Citation|url = http://www.webelements.com/tin/compounds.html|title = Tin compounds|access-date = January 24, 2013}}</ref>

Lead forms one hydride, which has the formula [[plumbane|PbH<sub>4</sub>]]. Lead forms dihalides and tetrahalides with fluorine and chlorine, and forms [[Lead(II) bromide|a dibromide]] and [[Lead(II) iodide|a diiodide]], although the tetrabromide and tetraiodide of lead are unstable. Lead forms [[Lead oxide|four oxides]], [[Lead(II) sulfide|a sulfide]], [[Lead selenide|a selenide]], and [[Lead telluride|a telluride]].<ref>{{Citation|url = http://www.webelements.com/lead/compounds.html|title = Lead compounds|access-date = January 24, 2013}}</ref>

There are no known compounds of flerovium.<ref>{{Citation|url = http://www.webelements.com/flerovium/compounds.html|title = Flerovium compounds|access-date = January 24, 2013}}</ref>