Task: Question Answering
Input (English): Context: Groups 13-16 of the periodic table (orange in the Figure 1.1) are the only groups that contain elements classified as metalloids. Unlike other groups of the periodic table, which contain elements in just one class, groups 13-16 contain elements in at least two different classes. In addition to metalloids, they also contain metals, nonmetals, or both. Groups 13-16 fall between the transition metals (in groups 3-12) and the nonmetals called halogens (in group 17). Metalloids are the smallest class of elements, containing just six members: boron (B), silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), and tellurium (Te). Metalloids have some properties of metals (elements that can conduct electricity) and some properties of nonmetals (elements that cannot conduct electricity). For example, most metalloids can conduct electricity, but not as well as metals. Metalloids also tend to be shiny like metals, but brittle like nonmetals. Chemically, metalloids may behave like metals or nonmetals, depending on their number of valence electrons. Q: Why does the chemical behavior of an element depend on its number of valence electrons? A: Valence electrons are the electrons in an atoms outer energy level that may be involved in chemical reactions with other atoms. Group 13 of the periodic table is also called the boron group because boron (B) is the first element at the top of the group (see Figure 1.2). Boron is also the only metalloid in this group. The other four elements in the groupaluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), indium (In), and thallium (Tl)are all metals. Group 13 elements have three valence electrons and are fairly reactive. All of them are solids at room temperature. Group 14 of the periodic table is headed by the nonmetal carbon (C), so this group is also called the carbon group. Carbon is followed by silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge) (Figure 1.3), which are metalloids, and then by tin (Sn) and lead (Pb), which are metals. Group 14 elements group have four valence electrons, so they generally arent very reactive. All of them are solids at room temperature. Group 15 of the periodic table is also called the nitrogen group. The first element in the group is the nonmetal nitrogen (N), followed by phosphorus (P), another nonmetal. Arsenic (As) (Figure 1.4) and antimony (Sb) are the metalloids in this group, and bismuth (Bi) is a metal. All group 15 elements have five valence electrons, but they Germanium is a brittle, shiny, silvery- white metalloid. Along with silicon, it is used to make the tiny electric cir- cuits on computer chips. It is also used to make fiber optic cableslike the one pictured herethat carry telephone and other communication signals. vary in their reactivity. Nitrogen, for example, is not very reactive at all, whereas phosphorus is very reactive and found naturally only in combination with other substances. All group 15 elements are solids, except for nitrogen, which is a gas. Group 16 of the periodic table is also called the oxygen group. The first three elementsoxygen (O), sulfur (S), and selenium (Se)are nonmetals. They are followed by tellurium (Te) (Figure 1.5), a metalloid, and polonium (Po), a metal. All group 16 elements have six valence electrons and are very reactive. Oxygen is a gas at room temperature, and the other elements in the group are solids. Q: With six valence electrons, group 16 elements need to attract two electrons from another element to have a stable electron arrangement of eight valence electrons. Which group of elements in the periodic table do you think might The most common form of the metalloid arsenic is gray and shiny. Arsenic is extremely toxic, so it is used as rat poison. Surprisingly, we need it (in tiny amounts) for normal growth and a healthy nervous system. form compounds with elements in group 
 Question: metalloids include the element
Output (English): germanium.