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Which elements belong to Group 12 of the periodic table?
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zinc group element
Modern version of the periodic table of the elements (printable).
Group 12 of the periodic table, often referred to as the zinc group, consists of the following four chemical elements:
- Zinc (Zn)
- Cadmium (Cd)
- Mercury (Hg)
- Copernicium (Cn)
These elements share certain chemical characteristics, such as the tendency to form dipositive ions () by losing the two electrons in their outermost shell, though they also exhibit significant differences in their physical and chemical properties. While zinc, cadmium, and mercury are naturally occurring metals, copernicium is a synthetic element produced in particle accelerators.1