Which of the following elements of the carbon family has the highest boiling point?
Carbon
Silicon
Germanium
Tin
Tin has the highest boiling point among the elements of the carbon family. This is because tin has a strong metallic bonding due to the presence of a large number of delocalized electrons, which requires a significant amount of energy to break during boiling.
The reason for tin's relatively high boiling point (which is around 2,602°C or 4,716°F) is due to its atomic structure and bonding. Tin is a metallic element with a relatively large atomic radius and a filled d-orbital, which means that its valence electrons are somewhat shielded from the positive charge of the nucleus. This makes it easier for the electrons to move around within the metal lattice, leading to strong metallic bonding and a high boiling point.