What is Group 15 elements?

 

·         Group 15 contains five elements, namely, Nitrogen, phosphorus, Arsenic, Antimony and Bismuth.

·         After the first element of the group, they are known as the nitrogen family.

·         These elements, except phosphorus, do not occur very abundantly in nature.

·         Nitrogen constitutes only about 0.0045 per cent, phosphorus 0.116 per cent arsenic 5×10^-4 per cent  antimony 1×10^-4 per cent and bismuth 1.8×10^-5per cent of the igneous rocks of the earth.

·         Phosphorus is the only abundant element of the group which, in fact, ranks tenth in abundance amongst all the elements.

·         Nitrogen is a very well-known element.

·          It constitutes nearly 78 per cent by volume of the atmosphere and is an essential constituent of fertilizers, explosives and food stuffs (proteins).

·         Phosphorus is important because of its occurrence in phosphate rocks which can be converted into phosphatic fertilizers and also because it can form a number of alloys find many other uses.