a mystery element contains 16 protons. which group of the periodic table will it belong to?

A mystery element with 16 protons is sulfur (S), which belongs to Group 16 on the periodic table.

Quick Identification

The number of protons defines an element's atomic number, so 16 protons means atomic number 16. This corresponds directly to sulfur, a nonmetal known for its yellow crystals and role in compounds like sulfuric acid.

Sulfur sits in period 3 and the p-block, sharing Group 16 (also called Group VIA in older notations or the oxygen family/chalcogens) with oxygen, selenium, tellurium, and polonium.

Why Group 16?

• Valence electrons : Elements here have 6 valence electrons, leading to similar chemistry—like forming -2 ions or bonds in oxides and sulfides.

• Family traits : Chalcogens are reactive nonmetals (top) to metalloids/semimetals (bottom), vital in biology (e.g., sulfur in proteins) and industry (e.g., sulfuric acid production).

• Historical note : Pre-1988 tables labeled it Group VIA; modern IUPAC uses 16 for consistency.

Fun Fact from Forums

Online chemistry puzzles often use this "mystery element" riddle to teach atomic structure—sulfur's the classic answer since atomic number = protons.

TL;DR: Group 16 (chalcogens).

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.