LAB- THE PERIODIC TABLE
Purpose: To become familiar with the periodic table.
Equipment: none
Materials: periodic table, textbook, colored pencils or crayons
Introduction:
As chemists learned about elements, they noticed that certain elements had
similar properties. For example, neon, helium, and argon are all stable gases.
Sodium, lithium, and potassium all react strongly with water.
As more and more elements were discovered, scientists saw a need to
organize the information into a table. In the modern Periodic Table, elements
are arranged in order of increasing atomic number. The Periodic Law states
that the properties of the elements repeat in a regular way if the elements are
arranged by increasing atomic number.
Metals
Of all the elements known, roughly two-thirds of them are metals.
Therefore, a majority of the elements are considered to be metals. Metals are
characterized by the following features:
1. Have relatively low ionization energies and low electronegativities.
2. Tend to lose electrons to form positive ions when combining chemically
with other elements.
3. Are solids at room temperature (except for mercury which is a liquid).
4. Possess the qualities of malleability and ductility.
5. Are good conductors of heat and electricity.
6. Show a characteristic metallic luster.
The elements with the most pronounced metallic properties are found in
the lower left portion of the Periodic Table. Francium (Fr), the element in the
bottom left corner, is the most chemically reactive metal on the Periodic
Table.
Nonmetals
Nonmetals are found on the right side of the Periodic Table. Nonmetallic
properties, most pronounced in those elements appearing in the upper right
portion of the table, include the following:
1. Have relatively high ionization energies and high electronegativities.
2. Tend to gain electrons when they react with metals, and share
electrons when they combine chemically with other elements.
3. Are usually gases, molecular solids, or network solids at room
temperature; bromine, an exception, is a volatile liquid at room
temperature.
4. Are brittle in the solid phase.
5. Are poor conductors of heat and electricity.
6. Lack metallic luster.
Fluorine (F), found near the top right corner , is the most chemically reactive
nonmetal on the Periodic Table.
Metalloids
Metalloids are elements that show both metallic and nonmetallic
properties and are located along the staircase. Boron, silicon, arsenic,
germanium, antimony, and tellurium are metalloids. Aluminum is a metal, not
a metalloid.
Vertical Columns and Horizontal Rows
The 18 vertical columns of the Periodic Table are called groups, while the
7 horizontal rows are called periods. Elements in the same group typically
have similar chemical properties because they contain the same number of
valence electrons. Elements in the same period contain the same number of
occupied principal energy levels.
Special Names
Special names are given to some of the groups. For example, the Alkali
Metals are Group 1 and the Alkaline Earth Metals are Group 2. The
Transition Metals are known for their colored ions in solution and are found
in Groups 3 to 11. The Group 17 elements are called the Halogens, while the
Noble Gases are found in Group 18.
The Lanthanides, or “rare-earth” elements are the 14 elements with
atomic numbers from 58 to 71. The Lanthanides belong in Period 6, but are
found at the bottom of the chart because they are extremely similar in
properties.
The Actinide elements are all radioactive and belong in Period 7, but are
also found at the bottom of the chart. The Actinides are the 14 elements with
atomic numbers from 90 to 103.
General Characteristics of Elements
Most of the elements are solids at room temperature and pressure.
Exceptions include mercury, the only liquid metal and bromine, the only
liquid nonmetal. Eleven elements are gases. These gases include the 6
Noble Gases (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, Rn) and hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen,
fluorine, and chlorine.
Most elements exist as single (monatomic) atoms in the elemental state.
However, there are seven elements that are always found bonded together in
pairs. These are hydrogen, oxygen, fluorine, bromine, iodine, nitrogen, and
chlorine. They are called diatomic molecules and their formulas are H2, O2,
F2, Br2, I2, N2, and Cl2.
Objectives:
1. Given a Periodic Table you are going to show the ability to follow step-by-step
directions on color coding the table.
2. Given basic knowledge-type questions regarding the Periodic Table you will
show the ability to answer them correctly.
3. Given application-type questions regarding the Periodic Table you will show
the ability to answer them correctly.
Procedure: Your lecture class notes and textbook may be helpful in answering
some questions.
Part One: Color code the attached Periodic Chart as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Color the Noble Gases orange
Color the Alkali Metals purple
Color the Halogens yellow
Color the Alkaline Earth Metals red
Color the Metalloids green
Circle or highlight the two liquids with blue
Circle or highlight the eleven gases with black
Part Two: Basic Interpretation of the Periodic Table
1. Define group. ____________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
2. Define period. ___________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
3. Where are the transition elements located on the Periodic Table?
_______________________________________________________
4. Where are the metalloids located on the Periodic Table and then give
the symbols for each of them? ______________________________
_______________________________________________________
5. What is the special name for the:
a. group 1 elements? ___________________________________
b. group 2 elements? ___________________________________
c. group 17 elements? __________________________________
d. group 18 elements? __________________________________
6. Which elements normally have colored ions? ____________________
7. How are elements in the same group similar? ____________________
_________________________________________________________
8. How are elements in the same period similar? _____________________
__________________________________________________________
9. What is name and the symbol for the. . .
most chemically reactive metal? name _______________ symbol ___
most chemically reactive nonmetal? name ____________ symbol ___
only liquid metal? name __________________________ symbol ___
only liquid nonmetal? name _______________________ symbol ___
10. Complete the table
Atomic
Number
3
54
79
Element
Symbol
Element
Name
Group
Number
Period
Number
11. Write the electron configuration and number of valence electrons for the
following elements:
a. Nitrogen electron configuration- ____________________________
number of valence electrons- ________
b. Tin electron configuration- ________________________________
number of valence electrons- _________
c. Gold electron configuration- ______________________________
number of valence electrons _________
12. Give the symbol, number of protons, neutrons, and electrons for each of
the following atoms:
a. bromine: symbol _______
# protons _______
# neutrons ________
# electrons ______
b. manganese: symbol _______
# protons _______
# neutrons ________
# electrons ______
c. copper: symbol _______
# protons _______
# neutrons ________
# electrons ______
13. List the symbols for the eleven elements that are normally gases at room
temperature.
___________________________________________________________
14. Define the Periodic Law.
___________________________________________________________
15. In the space provided, draw the Lewis (electron dot) structure for each of
the following atoms:
a. magnesium
b. iodine
c. argon
16. Give the element symbol and the phase of each element at room
temperature.
a. carbon
b. bromine
c. xenon
symbol ______
symbol ______
symbol ______
phase ______
phase ______
phase ______
17. Complete the table by giving the elemental symbol and then classifying
each element as follows:
Metal
Nonmetal
Element
Name
Potassium
Germanium
Osmium
Tin
Carbon
Iodine
Argon
Mercury
Metalloid
Element
Symbol
Noble Gas
Classification
18. Name and give the formulas for all seven diatomic elements.
Element Name
Formula
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
19. How are the elements arranged on the Periodic Table?
___________________________________________________
Part Three: Application type questions regarding the Periodic Table and
Reference Table S.
1. Give the element name in group 3 and period 4 of the Periodic Table.
_______________________
2. Give the element name in group 17 and period 6 of the Periodic Table.
_______________________
3. Give the element name in period 5 and group 10 of the Periodic Table.
_______________________
4. Give the element name in period 7 and group 2 of the Periodic Table.
________________________
5. Determine the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons for each of the
following:
a. Carbon-14
# protons _____
# neutrons _____
# electrons _____
b. Uranium-235
# protons _____
# neutrons _____
# electrons _____
6. What is the boiling point (in Kelvin) of carbon? ______________
7. What is the atomic radius (in pm) of Co? __________________
8. What is the electronegativity of the element in group 1 and period 5 of the
Periodic Table? ______________
9. What happens to atomic radius as you go down the same group on the
Periodic Table? ______________
10. What happens to ionization energy as you go from left to right within a
period on the Periodic Table? _________________
11. What happens to atomic radius as you go from left to right within a period
on the Periodic Table? ______________________
12. What happens to electronegativity as you go down the same group
on the Periodic Table? ______________________
13. How many valence electrons do halogens have? __________
14. What atom has 32 protons and 28 neutrons? _________________
15. How many neutrons are there in fluorine-19? ______________
16. What properties are common among metals? ___________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
17. What is the name of the group of elements that contains one valence
electron? ______________________
18. Based on the Periodic Table, explain why magnesium and calcium have
similar chemical properties. __________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
19. Which group on the Periodic Table contains atoms with a stable outer
electron configuration? ___________________________
20. In which area of the periodic table are the elements with the strongest
nonmetallic properties located? ______________________________
21. As a neutral sulfur atom gains two electrons, what happens to the radius
of the atom? ________________________________
22. The elements from which two groups of the periodic table are most
similar in their chemical properties? ___________________________
23. As you consider the elements in Group 2 in order of increasing atomic
number, what happens to the reactivity of the elements? ___________
24. Give at least two properties of Noble Gases. _____________________
________________________________________________________
25. Give at least two properties of nonmetals. ______________________
________________________________________________________