[officercloud]

Six unknown elements from the p-block are identified only by the letters T, V, W, X, Y, and Z. Each element belongs to a different group on the periodic table, but some share the same period.  Use a periodic tabel and the following clues to identify each element.

Clue 1: Hydrogen reacts with all elements except Element V. Some of the compounds that hydrogen forms are H₂T, HW,XH₄, and ZH₃.
Clue 2: Oxygen reacts with all of the elements except Element V.  Two of the compounds that oxygen forms are Y₂O₃ and XO₂.
Clue 3: Element W is a solid with a strong attraction for electrons.
Clue 4: Elements Z and T are both components of industrial acids, but Element T has a greater ionization energy.
Clue 5: Element Y is the first metal in its family.
Clue 6: Element V has the smallest atomic radius of all p-block elements.
Clue 7: Element T has electrons in more energy levels than Element X, but in fewer than Element W.

My friend and I have been working on this for about 2 hours that Element V is Helium and that Element X MIGHT be Germanium.

Can someone help us out please? If you figure it out could you post how you got it as well? I don't just want to know the answer, I want to know how to do it too lol

[Albert]

This is what I worked out:

V = He

W = I

Y = Al

X = C

T = S

Z = As

To be honest, I'm not sure about the last two ones: As is not as common as N and P. However, according to what you wrote about ionization energy, this seems to be the only reasonable answer.

However, if your book proved to be 'unfair' , we can consider the odds of T standing for oxygen. In that case, Z should be P.

[FeLiXe]

how you find it out:
from the hydrides and oxides you can tell what group they are in
e.g. H2T - that meanst T needs two electrons to "be a noble gas" that means it's two periods to the left which is period VI-A or 16.

W: HW => forms one bond => it is a halogen
it's solid => iodine

Y: Y2O3 => it has three electrons to bond with
could be III or V, well it is III if it's an oxide like that
what's the first metal? B isn't, Al is

[Yggdrasil]

Is He considered a p-block element even though it contains no electrons in p-orbitals?  I would think V is Ne.

[Albert]

Is He considered a p-block element even though it contains no electrons in p-orbitals?

Yes, it is. Even if I'm pretty sure there're many respectable scientists who disagree, Helium belongs to the p-block.