2B2 The Periodic Table Flashcards
Describe how the periodic table organizes elements and reveals trends in properties like atomic radius and electronegativity, to help predict physical and chemical behaviors.
What is the periodic table?
A chart of elements arranged by atomic number.
The periodic table organizes elements into rows (periods) and columns (groups) based on their properties.
True or False:
The periodic table is arranged by atomic mass.
False
It is arranged by atomic number.
What is a group in the periodic table?
A vertical column of elements with similar properties.
Groups are numbered 1 to 18 and elements in the same group have the same number of valence electrons.
What is a period in the periodic table?
A horizontal row of elements with increasing atomic number.
As you move across a period, properties like electronegativity and ionization energy generally increase. There are 7 periods in the periodic table.
Fill in the blank:
An element consists of atoms that all have the same number of _________.
protons
The number of protons in an atom determines its atomic number and identifies the element on the periodic table.
What does the atomic number represent?
The number of protons in an atom’s nucleus.
The atomic number determines the element’s identity and its position in the periodic table.
What is the atomic number of carbon?
6
Carbon has 6 protons, so its atomic number is 6.
What do you call elements that are good conductors of electricity, malleable and ductile?
Metals
Metals are typically found on the left side and in the center of the periodic table. Examples include iron (Fe) and copper (Cu).
True or False:
All metals are solid at room temperature.
False
While most metals are solid at room temperature, mercury (Hg) is a liquid metal.
Where are oxygen (O) and carbon (C) located on the periodic table?
On the right side as nonmetals.
Nonmetals are poor conductors and are essential for life processes, like respiration and photosynthesis.
Where are metals located on the periodic table?
On the left side and center.
Metals are generally conductive, malleable, and shiny.
Where are nonmetals located on the periodic table?
On the right side.
Nonmetals are typically poor conductors and have higher electronegativity.
Where are metalloids located?
Between metals and nonmetals.
Metalloids have mixed properties of metals and nonmetals, such as silicon.
Fill in the blank:
Metalloids are also called _______.
Semimetals
Metalloids are used in electronics due to their semi-conductivity.
Which element is an example of a metalloid?
Silicon (Si)
Silicon is a metalloid used in semiconductors, bridging the properties of metals and nonmetals.
Which group of elements is called the transition metals?
Groups 3–12
These metals are characterized by variable oxidation states and are often used in alloys.
What is the symbol for Helium?
He
Helium (He) is a noble gas in Group 18.
What is the symbol for Copper?
Cu
Copper (Cu) is a transition metal known for its electrical conductivity.
Where are the lanthanides and actinides located?
Below the main periodic table.
These two series of elements, often called the f-block, are placed separately to save space.
What are alkali metals?
Group 1 elements.
Alkali metals like lithium (Li) and sodium (Na) are highly reactive and have one electron in their outer shell.
What are alkaline earth metals?
Group 2 elements.
Alkaline earth metals like magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) are reactive but less so than alkali metals.
True or False:
Transition metals can have more than one oxidation state.
True
Transition metals like iron (Fe) can form different positive ions, such as Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺.
What is the symbol for Calcium?
Ca
Calcium (Ca) is an alkaline earth metal in Group 2.
Where are halogens found?
Group 17
Halogens like fluorine (F) and chlorine (Cl) are reactive nonmetals.
Define:
Ionization energy
The energy required to remove an electron.
Ionization energy generally increases across a period and decreases down a group.
True or False:
Alkali metals have a charge of +2.
False
Alkali metals have a charge of +1 due to losing one electron.
What type of bonding occurs between metals?
Metallic bonding.
In metallic bonding, electrons are delocalized and shared freely among atoms.
Fill in the blank:
In ionic bonding, metals _______ electrons and nonmetals _______ electrons.
lose, gain
Metals lose electrons to form positive ions, while nonmetals gain electrons to form negative ions.
Where are the most reactive elements located?
In the alkali metals and halogens.
Alkali metals react vigorously with water, and halogens are highly reactive with metals.
You’re an architect choosing materials for a skyscraper. Which side of the periodic table would you look at for strong, durable metals?
The center (transition metals).
Transition metals like steel (an alloy of iron) and titanium (Ti) are used for their strength and resistance to corrosion, perfect for structural materials.
What group are the halogens in?
Group 17
Halogens, such as fluorine (F) and chlorine (Cl), are very reactive and form salts when combined with metals.
Define
Noble gases
Inert gases with full outer electron shells.
Noble gases like neon (Ne) and argon (Ar) are stable and rarely form compounds because their outer electron shells are full.
True or False:
Nonmetals tend to form positive ions.
False
Nonmetals typically form negative ions by gaining electrons.
A scientist wants to develop a new, non-reactive gas for use in lightbulbs. Which group in the periodic table should he look at?
Group 18 (Noble gases).
Noble gases like argon (Ar) are chemically inert, making them ideal for preventing oxidation inside lightbulbs.
What is atomic radius?
The distance from the nucleus to the outermost electron.
The atomic radius reflects the size of an atom, and it decreases across a period and increases down a group.
Fill in the blank:
Elements in group 1 have the ________ atomic radius.
largest
Group 1 elements have only one electron in their outermost shell, making them the largest in size.
True or False:
Atomic radius increases as you move down a group.
True
New electron shells are added with each period, increasing the distance between the nucleus and outer electrons.
You are comparing two metals for use in electrical wiring. One is in Group 1 and the other in Group 2. Which metal will likely have a larger atomic radius?
The group 1 metal.
Group 1 elements like lithium (Li) have larger atomic radii because they have fewer protons, so their electrons are less tightly pulled towards the nucleus.
What is ionization energy?
The energy required to remove an electron from an atom.
High ionization energy means it is harder to remove an electron, like in noble gases.
What happens to ionization energy as you move across a period?
It increases.
As atomic size decreases, electrons are held more tightly, making them harder to remove.
True or False:
Ionization energy is higher for smaller atoms.
True
Smaller atoms have stronger attractions between the nucleus and electrons, requiring more energy to remove an electron.
Which element is more likely to form an ionic bond: lithium (Li) or chlorine (Cl)?
Both are likely, but lithium will lose an electron, and chlorine will gain one.
Lithium, a metal from Group 1, has low ionization energy, making it easy to lose electrons, while chlorine, a nonmetal from Group 17, has high electronegativity, making it eager to gain electrons.
True or False:
Electronegativity decreases as you move down a group.
True
As the atomic radius increases, the nucleus’ ability to attract bonding electrons weakens.
Fill in the blank:
_______ has the highest electronegativity.
Fluorine
Fluorine is the most electronegative element, strongly attracting electrons in chemical bonds.
True or False:
The electronegativity of alkali metals is high.
False
Alkali metals have low electronegativity because they easily lose their outer electron, rather than attracting others.
A jeweler is looking for a metal that doesn’t tarnish easily. Which metal should he use?
Platinum (Pt) or gold (Au).
Both platinum and gold are transition metals with excellent corrosion resistance, perfect for jewelry that needs to retain its shine.
What happens to metallic bonding across a period?
It strengthens.
As you move across a period, the number of protons increases, leading to stronger attraction between the electrons and the nucleus, which strengthens the metallic bonds.
True or False:
Melting points of metals increase across a period.
True
As metallic bonding becomes stronger, it requires more energy to break the bonds, raising the melting points.
What is reactivity?
The ability of an element to undergo a chemical reaction.
Reactivity depends on how easily an element can lose or gain electrons.
What determines an element’s reactivity?
The number of valence electrons.
Elements with fewer valence electrons (metals) are generally more reactive.
What happens to reactivity in metals as you go down a group?
It increases.
Larger atoms lose electrons more easily, making metals more reactive down the group.
What happens to reactivity in metals as you go across a period?
It decreases.
As atomic size decreases, metals hold onto electrons more tightly, lowering reactivity.
True or False:
Group 1 metals are highly reactive.
True
Group 1 metals have one electron in their outer shell, which they lose easily in reactions.
What is the reactivity trend for noble gases?
They are non-reactive.
Noble gases have full electron shells, making them chemically stable.
Which group contains the most reactive nonmetals?
Group 17
Halogens in Group 17, such as fluorine (F) and chlorine (Cl), are highly reactive.
Which group contains the most reactive metals?
Group 1
Alkali metals, like lithium (Li) and sodium (Na), are highly reactive, especially with water.
Fill in the blank:
Nonmetals react by ________ electrons.
gaining
Nonmetals tend to gain electrons to achieve a full valence shell, which makes them more stable.
True or False:
Transition metals are highly reactive compared to alkali metals.
False
Transition metals are less reactive than alkali metals. Alkali metals are highly reactive because they easily lose their single valence electron, while transition metals have more stable electron configurations and typically do not lose electrons as easily.
How does the reactivity of metals compare to nonmetals?
Metals lose electrons, nonmetals gain them.
Metals tend to form positive ions, while nonmetals tend to form negative ions.
Fill in the blank:
Alkali metals react violently with _______.
water
Alkali metals, such as sodium (Na) and potassium (K), react violently with water, producing hydroxides and hydrogen gas. This highly exothermic reaction can generate flames or cause explosions due to the rapid release of energy.
