Researching the Periodic Table
Name: __________________________________ Date: _________________ Block: ______
Name: __________________________________
Name: __________________________________
You’ve heard the basics of the periodic table and had a chance to make one in class. Now that
you’re a pro at classifying elements, you get a chance to make your very own periodic table using
real elements. If you do this correctly, your classification scheme should be the same as the
actual periodic table.
Unfortunately, you’re not going to be given the names of the elements or a complete list of
their properties. Using partial information (such as scientists had in the old days), see if you
can arrange these real elements into their proper periods and families. One hint: These
elements should be arranged into a grid that’s three boxes tall by four boxes wide, with no
blank spaces. Please place your grid on the back of this page along with the references for the
research you will complete.
In no particular order:
Element 1: Solid, metal, does not corrode in air, density = 1.85 g/mL.
Element 2: Yellow gas, highly dangerous to handle, toxic in low doses.
Element 3: White, shiny, metallic solid, reacts slightly in air, density = 1.55 g/mL.
Element 4:
Colorless, odorless, tasteless gas, considered to be a health hazard due to its
radioactivity
Element 5: Hard, grayish-white metalloid, unknown by Mendeleev, density = 5.3 g/mL
Element 6: Soft, malleable metal, poisonous to animals, highly resistant to corrosion
Element 7: White metallic solid, reacts easily in air, density = 3.5 g/mL.
Element 8: Colorless gas, unreactive with any element.
Element 9: Red nonmetallic liquid, irritates skin and lungs.
Element 10: Colorless gas, denser than air (0.0013 g/mL), forms no chemical compounds.
Element 11: Radioactive metalloid, very little known about its properties.
Element 12: Non-metallic solid, present in all life forms, physical properties vary from highly
translucent to black and opaque
Good luck!
Solutions to the “Make your own periodic table” lab
The elements shown correspond to the alkaline earth metals (group 2), group 11, the halogens
(group 17), and the noble gases (group 18). Specifically, the identities of the elements should be
arranged in the following way:
beryllium (1)
carbon (12)
fluorine (2)
neon (8)
calcium (3)
germanium (5)
bromine (9)
krypton (10)
barium (7)
lead (6)
astatine (11)
radon (4)