Periodic table of the elements

The periodic table, as we know it today, is an array of the elements arranged in order of increasing atomic number. When the elements are arranged in order of increasing atomic number, the physical and chemical properties of the elements vary periodically at regular intervals. This relationship is known as the periodic law.

Periods

7 rows

There are seven periods of elements in the periodic table.

Each period has a variation in physical and chemical properties. It starts with reactive metals on the left side and ends with the nonreactive noble gas on the right side.

The number of the period gives the number of the outermost principal energy level that the valence electron(s) occupies. This is best illustrated by reviewing the arrangement of electrons in principal energy levels and the Bohr diagrams.

Groups

18 columns

There are 18 vertical columns of elements in the periodic table. Each column is called a group of elements, or a family of elements. Elements in the same family or group tend to have similar properties.

There are two formats in labeling the groups on the periodic table. In some books (and on the Internet) you will find the "1-18" numbering sequence. In other books, you will find the more popular "1-8 A and B" group labeling system. In this course, we will use the latter system of labeling.

"A" elements	The Representative Elements	Group IA Alkali metals
		Group IIA Alkaline-earth metals
		Group VIIA Halogens
		Group VIIIA Noble gases or Inert gases
"B" elements	The Transition Elements Inner Transition Metals

Elements

Actinium	Bismuth	Chlorine	Erbium	Hassium	Lawrencium	Neodymium	Phosphorus	Rhenium	Silicon	Thorium	Zinc
Aluminum	Bohrium	Chromium	Europium	Helium	Lead	Neon	Platinum	Rhodium	Silver	Thulium	Zirconium
Americium	Boron	Cobalt	Fermium	Holmium	Lithium	Neptunium	Plutonium	Roentgenium	Sodium	Tin
Antimony	Bromine	Copernicium	Fluorine	Lutetium	Lutetium	Nickel	Polonium	Rubidium	Strontium	Titanium
Argon	Cadmium	Copper	Francium	Indium	Magnesium	Niobium	Potassium	Ruthenium	Sulfur	Tungsten
Arsenic	Calcium	Curium	Gadolinium	Iodine	Manganese	Nitrogen	Praseodymium	Rutherfordium	Tantalum	Uranium
Astatine	Californium	Darmstadtium	Gallium	Iridium	Meitnerium	Nobelium	Promethium	Samarium	Technetium	Vanadium
Barium	Carbon	Dubnium	Germanium	Iron	Mendelevium	Osmium	Protactinium	Scandium	Tellurium	Xenon
Berkelium	Cerium	Dysprosium	Gold	Krypton	Mercury	Oxygen	Radium	Seaborgium	Terbium	Ytterbium
Beryllium	Cesium	Einsteinium	Hafnium	Lanthanum	Molybdenum	Palladium	Radon	Selenium	Thallium	Yttrium

Content suitability

BCIT courses: CHEM 0011