THE PERIODIC TABLE OF ELEMENTS

6th grade Science

Mrs. Setsma

Chapter 4 CHEMISTRY

AN “ELEMENT” SQUARE

PERIODIC TABLE

In 1869, a Russian Scientist, Dmitri Mendeleev created the very first

Periodic Table. He discovered a set of patterns that applied to all elements.

To start, Mendeleev wrote each of the discovered 63 elements. He

organized them based on their melting point, density, and color. He also

included the element’s atomic mass. Then he noticed a pattern and created

the world’s first edition of what we know today as the Periodic Table of

Elements.

What is atomic mass? It is it the AVERAGE mass of all the isotopes of an

element. An isotope is an atom that has the same number of protons and a

different number of neutrons of atoms of the same element.

HOW IS THE PERIODIC TABLE ARRANGED TODAY?

Periodic=regular, repeated pattern

Today’s table is arranged by atomic number

Periods are found in horizontal rows. There are seven

total on the table.

Groups are found in vertical rows. There are 18 families

on the Periodic Table.

There are 117 known elements found on the periodic

table. (although there is no #117).

HOW IS THE PERIODIC TABLE ARRANGED TODAY?

The Alkali Metals are in Group #1 on the periodic

table. Shade them orange. They are very reactive

and are always found in combination with other

elements.

The Alkaline Earth Metals are found in Group #2.

Each is fairly hard, gray-white and a good conductor

of electricity. They are fairly reactive although not as

much as the Alkali Metals. Shade them in yellow.

HOW IS THE PERIODIC TABLE ARRANGED TODAY?

The Transition Metals are in groups #3-12. These

include most of the familiar metals such as iron,

copper, nickel, silver and gold. Most are hard and

shiny and are good conductors of electricity. Shade

these in green.

In groups 13-15 on the Periodic table, only some

elements are metals. Most are not reactive—for

example, aluminum, tin and lead. Shade the metals

in the “mixed groups” in light blue.

THE PERIODIC TABLE TODAY

The first row of elements that sit below the Periodic Table are

called the Lanthanide series. They are located here to make the

table more compact. Lanthandes are soft, malleable and have a

high conductivity. Shade the Lanthanides pink.

The elements below the lanthanides are the actindes. Many of

the actinides are not found naturally in nature but made in a

laboratory. Some only last a fraction of a second. These elements

(man-made) are called “Synthetic elements.” Shade the actinide

series red.

THE PERIODIC TABLE TODAY

Non metals are elements that lack the properties

of a metal. Most non metals are poor conductors of

electricity and heat and are reactive with other

elements. Solid non metals are dull and brittle.

Ten of the sixteen nonmetals are a gas at room

temperature. Some examples are Oxygen &

Nitrogen.

Group #14 on the Periodic Table is the Carbon

Family.

THE PERIODIC TABLE TODAY

Group #15 is the Nitrogen family. It includes the elements

Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Arsenic, Antimony and Brismuth.

Group #16 is the Oxygen Family.

Group #17 is the Halogens— “salt-forming.” These elements

typically gains are shares one electron when it shares with other

elements.

Group #18 are the Noble Gases. They are VERY unreactive and

were not discovered til the late 1800’s. Some examples include

Helium, Neon and Radon.