Question

Allegedly pentel is a synonym for pnictogen, that is, an element of group 15, the nitrogen group. However, I have not been able to find any sources to support the existence of this sense of the word except Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Wikidoc, and these two pages at thoughtco.com by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. No other dictionary I've consulted has it, not even the OED. They only mention pentel as a certain kind of pen. Helmenstine's article cites

Modern Chemistry (South Carolina). Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Harcourt Education (2009)

but this citation is for the whole article, not specifically for pentel.

So is this real, or is it a case of citogensis?

Answer 1

The term 'pentel' as a synonym for pnictogens is likely a case of citogenesis and is not recognized in authoritative scientific or academic sources. Pnictogens are the elements in group 15, including nitrogen and phosphorus, characterized by having five valence electrons and forming three covalent bonds.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the context of chemistry, pnictogens refer to the elements of group 15 on the periodic table. This group includes nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, and bismuth.

These elements share common characteristics, such as the presence of five valence electrons leading to three covalent bonds for obtaining a stable electron configuration, and they can form negatively charged ions like the nitride ion (N³-).

The term 'pentel' is not a universally recognized synonym for pnictogens in academic literature or scientific texts, and it appears to be a case of citogenesis, where information originates from dubious sources and is then circulated as if it were true.

While there are sources such as Wikipedia or ThoughtCo that may use the term, it is not found in more authoritative sources, like chemistry textbooks or the Oxford English Dictionary, which only identifies 'Pentel' as a brand of pens.