Q. Show Anomalous Behaviour of Oxygen?

Oxygen differs considerably from the rest of the family members. Small size, very high electronegativity and non-availability of d-orbitals in the valence shell are the factors responsible for these differences. The main differences are as given below:

• Oxygen is a gas while other members are solids.
• Oxygen is diatomic whereas rest of the members are polyatomic.
• Being highly electronegative, oxygen shows only negative oxidation states of -2 and -1 except in OF₂, in which its oxidation state is +2.
• It shows paramagnetic behaviour in gaseous, liquid and solid states.
• Oxygen has a tendency towards extensive hydrogen bond formation. H₂O is a
• Liquid, whereas hydrides of the other elements of this group are gases.