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The general outer electronic configuration of group 15 elements is:

A$ns^2 np^2$
B$ns^2 np^3$
C$ns^2 np^4$
D$ns^2 np^5$
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. $ns^2 np^3$
Group 15 (nitrogen family): N, P, As, Sb, Bi. Outer configuration $ns^2 np^3$, i.e. 5 valence electrons (2 in $s$, 3 in $p$). Group 14: $ns^2 np^2$ (option A — carbon family). Group 16: $ns^2 np^4$ (option C — oxygen family). Group 17: $ns^2 np^5$ (option D — halogens). The half-filled $np^3$ in group 15 gives extra stability (like Cr's half-filled d⁵), making nitrogen unusually unreactive in elemental form.
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