PROPERTIES OF THE ELEMENT GROUPS
Objective:
Familiarize with the properties of the different element
groups: Alkali Metals, Alkaline Earth Metals, Transition Metals, Other
Metals, Metalloids, Non-metals, Halogens, Noble Gases, Rare Earth
Elements.
Click on the following website: http://chemicalelements.com/
A. Click on Alkali Metals (left bar) and answer the following questions:
1. What is the group number? It is group number 1.
2. Are the metals reactive? They are very reactive.
3. Do these metals occur freely in nature? They don’t occur freely in nature.
4. How many electrons are in the outer shell? They only have one electron in their outer
shell.
5. What are the characteristics of ALL metals? They are good conductors of electricity.
6. Are the metals soft or hard? The alkali metals are softer than other metals.
7. Name the two most reactive elements in the group? Francium and cesium are the two
most reactive elements.
8. What happens when they are exposed to water? The metals will explode.
B. Go back and click on Alkaline Earth Metals (left bar) and answer these questions.
9. What is the group number? It is the 2nd group in the periodic table.
10. Are the metals reactive? They are very reactive because they have an oxidation
number of +2.
11. Do these metals occur freely in nature? These are not free in nature.
C. Go back and click on Transition Metals (left bar) and answer these questions.
13. How many elements are in this group? There are 38 elements.
14. What are the group numbers? The group numbers are from 3 through 12.
15. Name three elements in this family that produce a magnetic field. Iron, cobalt and nickel
are the elements that produce magnetic fields.
16. Go back and click on Other Metals and answer these questions.
a. How many elements are in this group? There are 7 elements in the group.
b. What are the group numbers? The group numbers are from 13 to 15.
c. How are these other metals similar to the transition metals? These metals are ductile and malleable.
d. How are these other metals different to the transition metals? The valence electrons are only
present in the outer shell.
e. List three physical properties of these other metals. These elements are solid, have high density,
and are opaque.
17. Go back and click on Metalloids to answer these questions.
a. On your periodic table, trace the black stair-step line that distinguishes metals from nonmetals.
b. Notice the nine elements that share a full side with the stair-step line. These are the metalloids.
c. Metalloids have properties of both Metals and Non-metals.
d. Define semiconductor. Semiconductors carry electric charge only under special conditions.
e. Name two metalloids that are semi-conductors. Silicon and germanium.
f. This property makes metalloids useful in computers and calculators.
18. Go back and click on Nonmetals to answer these questions.
a What are the group numbers? 14 through 16.
b. List four characteristics of ALL nonmetals. They are not able to conduct heat and electricity really
well. They can't be folded or made into a wire because they are very brittle.
c. What two states of matter do nonmetals exist in at room temperature? Gases and solids
d. The nonmetals have no metallic luster and do not reflect light.
e. What are the oxidation numbers of the nonmetals? ±4, -3, and -2.
19. Go back and click on Halogens to answer these questions.
a. What is the halogen group number? Their group number is 17.
b. Are halogens metals or nonmetals? They are nonmetals.
c. The term "halogen" means “salt former” and compounds containing halogens are called “salts”.
d. How many electrons are in their outer shell? They have 7 electrons in their outer shells.
f. What states of matter do halogens exist in at room temperature? They exist in solid, liquid and gas
form at room temperature.
20. Go back and click on Noble Gases and answer these questions.
a. What is the group number? The group number is 18.
b. Why were these gases considered to be inert or stable? Because their oxidation level is 0 which
prevents noble gases from forming compound readily.
c. Describe some of the uses of Noble gases. They are used for light bulbs, weather balloons, used with
oxygen for deep sea dives, inflate tires of large aircrafts.
21. Go back and click on Rare Earth Elements and answer these questions.
a. On your periodic table, label the Lanthanide and Actinide series with your pencil.
b. How many Rare Earth elements are there? There are 30 rare earth elements.
d. The Rare Earth metals are found in group 3 and periods 6 and 7.
HOMEWORK:
Complete the table by summarizing the general properties of the different Groups.
GROUPS
ALKALI
METALS
ALKALI
EARTH
METALS
TRANSITION
METALS
PROPERTIES
They are very reactive metals that don’t occur freely in nature. They are
good conductors of heat and energy and they are malleable.
These metals are also reactive but not as much as the alkali metals. Since
they are reactive, you can’t find them freely in nature.
They are good conductors of heat and electricity. They are malleable, and
ductile. There is more than one shell for the valence electrons that is why
some have common oxidation states.
OTHER
They are ductile and malleable but they don’t have variable oxidation states
METALS
like transition metals which makes them different. They are solid, they have
high density, and they are opaque.
METALLOIDS They have both properties of metals and non-metals. They can carry heat
and electricity only in special conditions.
NONThey are very brittle. They can’t be rolled into a wire or pounded into
METALS
sheets. They don’t have metallic luster or do not reflect light.
HALOGENS
They are “salt formers”. They are the elements that create salt when
chemically bonded with other elements.
NOBLE
They are gases that don’t combine easily with other elements because the
GASES
already have the maximum number of electrons in the shells.
RARE
The rare earth metals are either from the lanthanide or actinide series.
EARTH
Most of them are man-made. They are made in the lab and they only last
ELEMENTS
for a very few seconds.