Group 14 - Carbon group

Group 14 - Carbon, Silicon, Germanium, Tin and Lead

The Carbon group has the elements C, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb. The group has the properties of Carbon and this is reflected by the (mostly) repeating active Carbon nuclet (blue).

Germanium is clearly diverging in shape from the rest. The elements are 'as if' all a Carbon with a different sized 'neutralized' extra backbone.

Source Wikipedia: Each of the elements in this group has 4 electrons in its outer orbital (the atom's top energy level). The last orbital of all these elements is the p²orbital. In most cases, the elements share their electrons. The tendency to lose electrons increases as the size of the atom increases, as it does with increasing atomic number. Carbon alone forms negative ions, in the form of carbide (C⁴⁻) ions. Silicon and germanium, both metalloids, each can form +4 ions. Tin and lead both are metals while flerovium is a synthetic, radioactive (its half life is very short), element that may have a few noble gas-like properties, though it is still most likely a post-transition metal. Tin and lead are both capable of forming +2 ions.

Carbon

Carbon is special. This is the most perfect geometric shape possible and this shape is the recurring shape that nature strives to achieve. The nucleus heavier elements are in essens a combination of Carbons.

Source Wikipedia: Carbon is the 15th most abundant element in the Earth's crust, and the fourth most abundant element in the universe by mass after hydrogen, helium, and oxygen. Carbon's abundance, its unique diversity of organic compounds, and its unusual ability to form polymers at the temperatures commonly encountered on Earth enables this element to serve as a common element of all known life. It is the second most abundant element in the human body by mass (about 18.5%) after oxygen.

This is Carbon 12

Silicon

This is Silicon 28

Germanium

This is Germanium 70

Tin (yet to be 'created')

Lead (try-out)