Family Names & Navigating the Periodic Table

Part 1Metals, Nonmetals & Metalloids

Highlight this stair-step line to separate the metals from the non-metals

Everything above and to the right is a nonmetal

Nonmetals

Tend to gain electrons

Form negative ions (-)

Do not conduct electricity

Are brittle (unmalleable)

Everything below and to the left is a metal

Metals

Tend to lose electrons

Form positive ions (+)

Are malleable and ductile

Conduct electricity

Metalloids

Mark these with an *:

B, Si, Ge, As, Sb, Te, Po

These sometimes act like a metal, sometimes like a nonmetal.

Part IIFamilies in the Periodic table

Important definition:Valence Electrons

Valence electrons are the number of electrons in the outer-most energy level (outer-most shell) of an atom

They are completely responsible for how an element reacts with other elements.

Elements are arranged in Families: Groups or Columns (i.e up and down)

Families have similar properties

Usually have the same number of valence electrons

React similarly

Alkali Metals

The first column

One valence electron

Explosively reactive

Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr

Form bases (alkaline) solutions

Alkaline Earth Metals

Are the second column

Have two valence electrons

Stable in air, but

React quickly with a little energy

Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Ra

Make up many minerals

Transition Metals are everything in Columns 3 - 12

Tend to be what we think of when we think metals

Cr – Chrome, Au – Gold, Fe – Iron, Cu – Copper

Have no rule for valence electrons

Noble Gases

are the very last column

Have eight valence electrons except Helium (He) has 2

Are very stable

Do not react with anything (usually)

Halogens

Column 17 next to noble gases

Have seven valence electrons

Extremely reactive

F, Cl, Br, I, At

Often used to kill bacteria

(think choline bleach, bromine in spas or pools)

13:Boron Family, 3 valence electrons

14: Carbon Family, 4 valence electrons

15:Nitrogen Family, 5 valence electrons

16: Oxygen Family, 6 valence electrons

The Two rows separated at the bottom are the Rare Earth Metals and are referred to by the first element in their row

• The First Row are the Lanthanides,• After La, Lanthanum • The Second Row are the Actinides,

after Ac, Actinium

Everything bigger than Uranium (#92) is human-made.

They are created in a laboratory rather than “discovered”.

They are all radioactive and most only stay together for less than a second.