We calculated integral and differential cross sections for scattering of low-energy electrons by two groups of hydrides from 10 to 30 eV. The first group is composed by the hydrides of elements in the same column of the Periodic Table and includes PH3, AsH3, and SbH3. The second group is formed by hydrides in the same row and includes SnH4, SbH3, TeH2, and HI. The calculations employed the Schwinger multichannel method with norm-conserving pseudopotentials [M.H.F. Bettega, L.G. Ferreira, and M.A.P. Lima, Phys. Rev. A 47, 1111 (1993)]. Our goal is to find similarities and differences in the cross sections in these two groups. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.105310291033