Physical Science 10: Periodic Table

WILLMAR PUBLIC SCHOOL 2013-2014 EDITION

HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE

CHAPTER 10

Periodic TableIn this chapter you will:1. Describe how Mendeleev arranged the ele-

ments in his table.2.Explain how the predictions Mendeleev made

and the discovery of new elements demon-strated the usefulness of his periodic table.

3.Describe the arrangement of elements in the modern periodic table.

4.Explain how atomic mass of an element is deter-mined.

5.Identify general properties of metals, nonmet-als, and metalloids.

6.Describe how properties of elements change across the periodic table.

7. Relate the number of valence electrons in a group to its properties.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Describe how Mendeleev arranged the elements in his table.

2. Explain how the predictions Mendeleev made and the discovery of new elements demonstrated the usefulness of his periodic table.

3. Describe the arrangement of elements in the modern periodic table.

Vocabulary:

periodic table

group

periodic law

period

SECTION 10.1

Organizing the ElementsImagine going to the library and finding all the books in big messy piles like the one above. It could take a very long time to find the book you wanted. You might give up without even trying. Of course, in most libraries, books are arranged in an orderly way. It’s clear that grouping books in an organized way is very useful. Same is true about grouping the elements.

Dmitri Mendeleev wanted an organized way to teach his stu-dents about the elements. He thought of a way when he was playing a card came. A deck of cards can be divided into four suits – diamonds, spades, hearts, and clubs. Also the cards can be put into sequence, A, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10, J, Q, K.

Mendeleev made a “deck of cards” with the elements. Men-deleev arranged the elements into rows in order of increasing mass so the elements with similar properties were in the same column. Within a column, the masses increased from top to bottom.

A periodic table is an arrangement of elements in columns, based on a set of properties that repeat from row to row.

2

Mendeleev could not make a complete periodic table of ele-ments because many elements had not been discovered yet. He had to leave spaces in this table so that the pattern of prop-erties would be consistent. He was not the first to create a pe-riodic table or leave spaces for missing elements; however, he was the first to have his spaces filled with an element discov-ered later. The same is true of chemical elements. For many years, scientists looked for a good way to organize them. This became increasingly important as more and more elements were discovered. In this chapter, you’ll read how elements were first organized and how they are organized today. You’ll see why an orderly arrangement of elements, like the books in a library, is also very useful.

The close match between Mendeleev’s prediction on the prop-erties of the missing elements and the actual properties of the new elements showed how useful his periodic table could be.

Mendeleev developed his periodic table before the discovery of the proton. He did not know that all atoms of the same ele-ment have the same number of protons, and that atoms of dif-ferent elements have different number of protons. In the mod-ern periodic table, the elements are arranged by increasing atomic number (number of protons). This number is unique for each element, so it seems like an obvious way to organize the elements. In the modern table, atomic number increases from left to right across each period. It also increases from top to bottom within each group.

Each column on the periodic table is called a group, as they are in Mendeleev’s table. However, the modern table has many more groups — 18 to be exact. The elements in a group have similar properties. Properties of elements repeat in a pre-dictable way when atomic numbers are used to arrange the ele-

3

ments into groups. Members of a group in the periodic table have similar chemical properties. This pattern of repeating properties is the periodic law.

Each row in the periodic table of elements is called a period, as they are in Mendeleev’s table. From left to right across a pe-riod, each element has one more proton than the element be-fore it. In each period, elements change from metals on the left side of the table, to metalloids, and then to nonmetals on the right. Some periods in the modern periodic table are longer than others. For example, period 1 contains only two elements. Periods 6 and 7, in contrast, are so long that some of their elements are placed below the main part of the table.

Section Review:

1. What properties of a deck of cards help Mendeleev?

2. Describe how Mendeleev arranged the elements in his periodic table.

3. Why did Mendeleev leave spaces in his table?

4. What did the discovery of new elements do to Mendeleev’s periodic table?

5. Why didn’t Mendeleev arrange is periodic table using protons?

6. How are the elements in the modern periodic table arranged?

7. What is similar in each group?

8. How do the properties change across a period?

9. Mendeleev’s table and the modern periodic table organize the elements based on different information, yet most elements are in the same order in both tables. Explain why.

4

OBJECTIVES:

1. Explain how atomic mass of an element is determined.

2. Identify general properties of metals, nonmetals, and metalloids.

3. Describe how properties of elements change across the periodic table.

4. Relate the number of valence electrons in a group to its properties.

Vocabulary:

atomic mass atomic mass unit

metals nonmetals

metalloids valence electrons

SECTION 10.2

Periodic Table Overview

Each box in the periodic table contains basic information for the element. There are four pieces of information for each ele-ment in a box in the periodic table; the name of the element, its symbol, its atomic number and its atomic mass. Atomic mass is a value that depends on the distribution of elements an element’s isotopes in nature and the masses of those iso-topes. As you remember, isotopes are atoms of the same ele-ment that have different numbers of neutrons and different masses.

The mass of an atom in grams is extremely small and not very useful. Scientists assigned 12 atomic mass units to the car-bon12 atom, which has 6 protons and 6 neutrons. An atomic mass unit (amu) is defined as one-twelfth the mass of carbon-12 atom.

Looking at the box above, the atomic mass for carbon is 12.01, not a whole number. Carbon has fifteen known isotopes. If you take a weighted average of the values of the atomic masses for all the isotopes of carbon, you will get the atomic

5

mass of 12.01. Atomic mass is reported as the weighted aver-ages.

Elements are classified as metals, nonmetals, and metalloids. In the periodic table, metals are located on the left, nonmetals are on the right, and metalloids are in between. Across a pe-riod from left to right, the elements become less metallic and more nonmetallic in their properties.

The majority of the elements on the periodic table are classi-fied as metals. Metals are elements that are good conductor of electric current and heat. Except for mercury, metals are solid at room temperature. Most metals are malleable, and many are ductile. Malleable means that it can be hammered or pressed permanently out of shape without breaking or cracking. Ductile mean that it can be drawn out into a thin wire. The metals in group 3 through 12 are called transition metals. Transition metals are elements that that bridge the left and right of the periodic table. Metals such as lithium have an outer energy level that is almost empty. They "want" to give up their few valence electrons so they will have a full outer energy level. As a result, metals are very reactive and good conductors of electricity.

As their name implies, nonmetals generally have the proper-ties opposite to those of metals. Nonmetals are elements that are poor conductors of heat and electric current. Many nonmetals are gases at room temperature. The solid nonmet-als tend to be brittle and shatter. Some nonmetals are ex-tremely reactive, while some hardly react at all. Nonmetals

vary greatly in physical and chemical properties. Some non-metals, such as bromine, have an outer energy level that is al-most full. They "want" to gain electrons so they will have a full outer energy level. As a result, these nonmetals are very reac-tive. Because they only accept electrons and do not give them up, they do not conduct electricity. Other nonmetals, such as neon, have a completely full outer energy level. Their elec-trons are already in the most stable arrangement possible. They are unreactive and do not conduct electricity.

Metalloids are element with properties that fall between those of metals and nonmetals. For example, metals are good conductors of electricity, and nonmetals are poor conductors of electric current. A metalloids ability to conduct electric cur-rent varies with temperature. Metalloids such as boron have an outer energy level that is about half full. These elements need to gain or lose too many electrons for a full outer energy level to come about easily. As a result, these elements are not very reactive. They may be able to conduct electricity but not very well.

A valence electron is an electron that is in the highest occu-pied energy level of an atom. These electrons play a key role in chemical reactions. The number of valence electrons deter-mines an element’s reactivity, or how likely the element is to react with other elements. The number of valence electrons also determines whether the element can conduct electric cur-rent. That’s because electric current is the flow of electrons.

6

Properties vary across a period because the number of valance electrons increases from left to right. Metals, which easily give up electrons, can conduct electricity. Nonmetals, which attract electrons, generally cannot. Metalloids such as silicon and germanium can conduct electricity but not as well as met-als since they have outer energy level that is about half full.

Elements in a group have similar properties because they have the same number of valence electrons. These properties will not be identical because the valence electrons are in different energy levels.

Section Review:

1. What information is shown in a box on the periodic table?

2. Why is the atomic mass not a whole number?

3. How are elements classified on the periodic table?

4. Which classification are gases?

5. Which classification varies greatly in physical and chemical properties?

6. What two things does the number of valence electrons determine?

7. Why do properties vary across a period?

8. Why do elements in a group have similar properties?

9. Are properties be identical for different elements?

7

OBJECTIVES:

1. Describe the arrangement of elements in the modern periodic table.

2. Relate the number of valence electrons in a group to its properties.

Vocabulary:

alkali metals alkaline Earth metals

transition metals boron group

carbon group nitrogen group

oxygen group halogens

noble gases

SECTION 10.3

Periodic Table GroupsElements in the same column, or group, of the periodic table have the same number of valence electrons in their outer en-ergy level. This gives them many similar properties.

Group 1 of the periodic table consists of hydrogen and the al-kali metals. Hydrogen is a very reactive nonmetal. The alkali metals are the most reactive metals. The reactivity of alkali metals increase from top to the bottom. Both Hydrogen and the alkali metals have only one valence electron. hey are the most reactive of all metals, and along with the elements in group 17, the most reactive elements. Because alkali metals are so reactive, they are only found in nature combined with other elements. The alkali metals are soft. Most are soft enough to cut with a knife. They are also low in density. Some of them even float on water. All are solids at room tempera-ture.

Group 2 consists of the alkaline Earth metals. They are very reactive but less so than the alkali metals since they have two valence electrons. In nature, they are always found com-bined with other elements. Alkaline Earth metals are silvery grey in color. They are harder and denser than the alkali met-als. All are solids at room temperature.

Groups 3–12 contain transition metals. They are less reac-tive than metals in groups 1 and 2. Transition metals have more valence electrons and are less reactive than metals in the first two metal groups. The transition metals are shiny. Many are silver colored. They tend to be very hard, with high melt-

8

ing and boiling points. All except mercury (Hg) are solids at room temperature.

Group 13 is called the boron group. The only metalloid in this group is boron (B). The other four elements are metals. All group 13 elements have three valence electrons and are fairly reactive. All are solids at room temperature.

Group 14 is called the carbon group. Carbon (C) is a non-metal. The next two elements are metalloids, and the final two are metals. All the elements in the carbon group have four va-lence electrons. They are not very reactive. All are solids at room temperature.

Group 15 is called the nitrogen group. The first two ele-ments in this group are nonmetals. These are followed by two metalloids and one metal. All the elements in the nitrogen group have five valence electrons, but they vary in their reac-tivity. Nitrogen (N) is not reactive at all. Phosphorus (P), in contrast, is quite reactive. In fact, it is found naturally only in combination with other substances. Nitrogen is a gas at room temperature. The other group 15 elements are solids.

Group 16 is called the oxygen group. The first three ele-ments in this group are nonmetals. They are followed by one metalloid and one metal. All the elements in the oxygen group have six valence electrons, and all are reactive. Oxygen (O), for example, readily reacts with metals to form compounds such as rust. Oxygen is a gas at room temperature. The other four elements in group 16 are solids.

Group 17 contains halogens. They are highly reactive non-metals. Halogens has seven valence electrons so are missing one valence electron in the outer shell. The halogens react vio-lently with alkali metals, which have one valence electron. The two elements combine to form a salt. For example, the halogen chlorine (Cl) and the alkali metal sodium (Na) react to form table salt, or sodium chloride (NaCl). The halogen group includes gases, liquids, and solids. For example, chlo-rine is a gas at room temperature, bromine (Br) is a liquid, and iodine (I) is a solid.

Group 18 consists of noble gases. The noble gases are color-less and odorless. Noble gases have full outer shells. Their outer energy level is also full, so they are the least reactive ele-ments. In nature, they seldom combine with other substances.

9

Section Review:

1. Why is hydrogen, a nonmetal, placed in the same group as the alkali metals?

2. How many metalloids are in the boron group?

3. What properties does the carbon group share?

4. How does the nitrogen group vary in its properties?

5. When oxygen reacts with metals, what can it form?

6. Which group does the halogens react readily with?

7. How is the outer shell in the noble gases?

8. Assume you have a sample of an unknown element. At room temperature, it is a soft solid. You cut a small piece from the sample with a knife and drop the piece into a container of water. It bursts into flames. Which group of the periodic table does the unknown element belong in?

9. Both hydrogen (H) and helium (He) are gaseous nonmetals. Why are they placed on opposite sides of the periodic table?

10