Can the following groups of elements be classified as Dobereiner’s triad ?
(a) Na, Si, Cl
(b) Be, Mg, Ca
Atomic mass of Be = 9; Na = 23; Mg = 24; Si = 28; Cl = 35; Ca = 40 Explain by giving reason.
(a) No, these elements cannot be classified as triads because these do not have same properties. However, the atomic mass of Si (28) is almost
the mean of the atomic masses of elements Na (23) and Cl (35).
Note : The Dobereiner’s triad is meaningful only if the elements present in the triad have almost identical properties.
(b) Yes, these elements can be classified as triads. These belong to the same group (2) and have almost identical properties. The atomic mass of
Mg (24) is almost the mean of the atomic masses of the elements Be (9) and Ca(40) i.e., 9 + 40 = 49/2 = 24.5.