1 Explain the meaning of various chemical formulas (empirical, molecular, and structural formulas). 2  Calculate weight and mole percentages from a formula.  Derive chemical formulas from a given set of information.
A: Zinc belongs to the family of elements found in Group 12. Some other elements in this family are cadmium and mercury. These three elements are metals, but mercury is a metal that is liquid at room temperature, while zinc and cadmium are solids at room temperature.
The elements in a group have similar physical or chemical characteristic of the outermost electron shells of their atoms (i.e., the same core charge), as most chemical properties are dominated by the orbital location of the outermost electron. There are three systems of group numbering. The modern numbering group 1 to group 18 is recommended by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). It replaces two older naming schemes that were mutually confusing. Also, groups may be identified by their topmost element or have a specific name.