Group 12 of the Periodic Table
Group 12 of the periodic table has 4 elements: Zinc, Cadmium, Mercury and Copernicium. Elements in a group have a similar last electron shell; the outer-shell pattern of all of them is ns², so they show similar chemical properties. Moving down a group, the number of shells and the atomic radius usually increase.
Element list
| Atomic no. | Symbol | Name | Atomic mass | Phase | Short configuration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | Zn | Zinc | 65.38 | Solid | [Ar] 3d¹⁰ 4s² |
| 48 | Cd | Cadmium | 112.41 | Solid | [Kr] 4d¹⁰ 5s² |
| 80 | Hg | Mercury | 200.59 | Liquid | [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² |
| 112 | Cn | Copernicium | 285 | Liquid (a theoretical prediction) | [Rn] 5f¹⁴ 6d¹⁰ 7s² |
Frequently asked questions
What are the group 12 elements of the periodic table?
The group 12 elements are Zinc (Zn), Cadmium (Cd), Mercury (Hg) and Copernicium (Cn).
How many elements are in group 12?
Group 12 of the periodic table has 4 elements (excluding the lanthanides and actinides).