The Greatest Table on Earth!!!
The Periodic Table of Elements
Periodic Table
• The Periodic Table of the Elements shows
every known type of atom.
• Much of the information we can get just from
the organization and shape of the periodic
table
• There are 90 elements on the periodic table
that occur in nature. All of the other elements
are man-made
The Beginning
• The Periodic Table was first made in 1869 by a
Russian named Dmitri Mendeleev
• His table looked something like this:
What do you
notice about
his periodic
table?
Mendeleev’s Periodic Table
• Mendeleev ordered the elements by
their atomic mass
• He grouped similar elements into
columns
– He started a new column every time the
physical or chemical properties changed
• Mendeleev left spaces for new,
undiscovered elements and tried to
predict their properties
Mendeleev’s Periodic Table
• Years later, many new elements were
discovered
• They had properties that were nearly identical
to those that Mendeleev predicted
Eka-aluminium (Ea) Gallium (Ga)
(Mendeleev’s (Discovered
Prediction) Element)
Atomic weight About 68 69.72
3 3
Density of solid 6.0 g/cm 5.9 g/cm
o
Melting point low 29.78 C
Valency 3 3
What Mendeleev’s Predictions Tell Us
• What did Mendeleev show us?
– There are patterns and trends to the elements
• What do these patterns show us?
– We can organize the elements by their properties
Atomic Number
• What is the atomic number?
– the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom
• What does it determine?
– the chemical properties of an element
– its place in the periodic table
• One way that the periodic table is organized is
by increasing atomic number
• However, this doesn’t explain why the
elements are grouped the way they are
Atomic Mass
• What is the atomic mass?
– the mass of an atom of a chemical element
• What is it equivalent to?
– The number of protons and neutrons in the atom
or the average number of the different isotopes
• The atomic mass increases (generally) as the
atomic number increases
• But this still does not explain the element
groupings
Periods
• Horizantal rows on the periodic table are
called periods
Periods
• Elements are organized into periods based on
where their electrons are
• The outermost orbital filled by electrons
determines what period an element is in
– every element in the top row (the first period) has
one orbital for its electrons
– as you move down the table, every row adds an
orbital to the maximum of seven electron orbitals
Groups
• The vertical columns of the periodic table are
organized by common physical and chemical
properties
– Why do you think these groups have similar
properties?
Groups continued…
• Draw an atom of hydrogen, lithium, and
sodium. Na
H Li
• What do you notice about each of these
atoms?
– Each atom has only one electron in their outer
shell
Groups continued…
• Remember that electrons determine an atoms
behaviour
• Since each atom has the same number of
electrons in its outside orbital, they all behave
in similar ways
H Li Na
Group 1
• Group 1 are called alkali metals
• The alkali metals are the elements in the
entire first column (except for hydrogen)
• Elements in this group are:
– soft, shiny, grey metals
– extremely reactive
– low in density and boiling points
– burn with red, pink, or yellow colours
• One element in this group is the rarest
element on earth, which one do you think it
is?
Group 2
• Group 2 are called Alkaline Earth Metals
• They are found in the second column of the
periodic table
• They are:
– somewhat shiny, silvery-white
– much harder than group 1
– strong bases (pH greater than 7) when mixed with water
– about twice as dense as group 1
• One of these elements is very dangerous to handle
because it is radioactive. Which one do you think it
is?
– HINT: It is formed by the decay of uranium.
Group 17
• Group 17 (found in the 17th column of the table) are
called halogens
• Contains Fluorine, Chlorine, Bromine, Iodine, and
Astatine
• These elements are all:
– extremely reactive
– extremely dangerous to living things (except iodine)
– make acids with hydrogen
– vividly coloured
– form salts when combined with metals
• Where does the word “halogens” come from?
– the Greek words "hals" meaning "salt“ and "gen", meaning
"to make."
Group 18
• Group 18 are called the Noble Gases
• They include helium, neon, krypton, argon, xenon,
and radon
• These elements are all gases that do not react at all
because they have a full shell of valance electrons
• They glow with bright colours when electricity is
passed through them
• One of these elements has the lowest AND highest
boiling point of any substance, what is it?
– helium
Metals vs. Non-metals
• The periodic table also organizes metals, non-
metals, and transition metals
• Metals are materials that:
– Have a shiny lustre
– Conduct electricity
– Conduct heat
– Are malleable
Transition Metals
• The transition metals go from group 3 (scandium
group) to group 12 (zinc group)
• They are all conductors of electricity and heat
• They all have a shiny lustre
• They are all malleable
• They are all silver (except for gold and copper)
Transition Metals continued…
• The only 3 magnetic elements are in the
transition metals.
– Iron
– Cobalt
– Nickel
The ‘Staircase’
• There is a staircase that can be seen which
separates elements that act like metals and
elements that don’t
• This shows the separation between the poor
metals and the non-metals
• The group of metals
touching the staircase
are called metalloids
Poor Metals
• Poor metals are in group 13, 14, 15, and 16
• Below the ‘staircase’
• These metals are
– very malleable
– soft
– poor electrical conductors
– have low boiling points
Non-metals
• Non-metals do not conduct electricity or heat
• Have a dull lustre (mostly)
• Are brittle
• Not malleable
• Most are brightly coloured
• What two non-metals is
water made up of?
H2O = Hydrogen & Oxygen
Metalloids
• Elements along the staircase
are called metalloids
• They act like metals and non-
metals
• Includes boron, silicon,
germanium, arsenic,
antimony, tellurium, and
polonium
Metalloids continued…
• Metalloids conduct some electricity
• Appear to be metal (shiny lustre) but are quite
brittle
• Make computers possible
• What metalloid element was used in ancient
times by Ancient Egyptians as a cosmetic?
– antimony
Lanthanides & Actinides
• The ‘disconnected’ bottom two rows of the periodic
table are called the lanthanides and actinides
• They are all radioactive
• And very reactive especially with elements of the
halogen group
• One actinide element is used in some smoke detectors
to detect smoke, which do you think it is?
Lanthanides
Actinides
Blocks
• New information about how electrons work has
taught us about things called shells
• The periodic table is also organized by which
electron shell is furthest to the outside of an
atom
Blocks continued…
• There are 4 shells
• S – shaped like spheres
• P – shaped like dumbbells
• D – many shapes
• F – many shapes
Blocks continued…
• All atoms in the ‘s’ block have their outer most
electrons in the ‘s-shell’
• All elements in the ‘d’ block have their outer
most electrons in the ‘d-shell’
Electron Affinity
• The energy change associated with gaining an
electron
• The more negative, the higher the affinity
• Increases from left to right
Atomic Radius
• Atomic radius is the distance from the atomic
nucleus to the outermost stable electron
orbital in a atom that is at equilibrium
• Decreases from left to right
• Increases from top to bottom
• Francium has the largest radii, helium has the
smallest
