Chemistry 110
Team Activity
Properties of Elements
After you complete Quiz 1, please meet with two or three other students in this class in one of
the study areas and work on this activity. (The Science & Engineering Building has study areas
in the south east corner and north east corner of every floor.)
As you work on the activity, you may have questions your team can not answer. This is ok. Just
ask me on Monday. Write yourself notes as you work together. These are your notes on this
topic.
Attached to this page are three pages with information about 26 of the lighter elements. The
elements are listed in order of increasing mass of the atoms.
1. Examine the properties of lithium (atomic mass = 6.9 u). Is lithium a metal?
2. The density of water is 1.0 g/ml. A solid object with a density less than 1.0 g/ml will float in
water. A solid object with a density greater than 1.0 g/ml will sink in water. Will a solid
piece of lithium float in water or sink?
3. Hardness measures how easy it is to scratch something. The larger the hardness value, the
harder it is to scratch. Diamond is one of the hardest materials and it has a hardness = 10.
Talc, which is in talcum powder, is very soft. Talc has a hardness = 1. You can scratch talc
with your fingernail. Will a fingernail scratch lithium?
4. How many atoms of hydrogen combine with one atom of lithium to make a compound?
5. Notice the chemical properties of lithium. Now, find two other elements on the sheets with
properties very, very similar to the properties of lithium. Look at a periodic table. Where are
these two elements listed on the periodic table in relation to lithium?
6. Beryllium is the next element after lithium, in order of increasing atomic mass. Examine the
properties of beryllium.
a. Is beryllium a metal?
b. How many atoms of hydrogen combine with one atom of beryllium to make a
compound?
c. Is beryllium more dense or less dense than lithium?
d. Is beryllium harder or softer than lithium?
7. Notice the chemical properties of beryllium. Find two other elements with properties very
similar to the properties of beryllium. Look at a periodic table. Where are these elements
listed on the table in relation to beryllium?
8. Boron is the next element after beryllium, in order of increasing atomic mass. Examine the
properties of boron.
a. Is boron a metal?
b. How many atoms of hydrogen combine with one atom of boron to make a compound?
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9. Carbon is the next element after boron, in order of increasing atomic mass.
a. Before you look at the properties of carbon, try to predict how many atoms of hydrogen
combine with one atom of carbon to make a compound. Use the pattern from lithium,
beryllium, and boron to help.
b. Now look at the properties of carbon. Did you guess correctly in part a?
c. Is carbon a metal?
10. Nitrogen is the next element after carbon, in order of increasing atomic mass.
a. Before you look at the properties of nitrogen, try to predict how many atoms of hydrogen
combine with one atom of nitrogen to make a compound. Use the pattern from lithium,
beryllium, boron, and carbon to help.
b. Now look at the properties of nitrogen. Did you guess correctly in part a?
c. Is nitrogen a metal?
11. Oxygen is the next element after nitrogen, in order of increasing atomic mass.
a. Before you look at the properties of oxygen, try to predict how many atoms of hydrogen
combine with one atom of oxygen to make a compound. Use the pattern from lithium,
beryllium, boron, carbon, and nitrogen to help.
b. Now look at the properties of oxygen. Did you guess correctly in part a?
c. Is oxygen a metal?
12. Fluorine is the next element after oxygen, in order of increasing atomic mass.
a. Before you look at the properties of fluorine, try to predict how many atoms of hydrogen
combine with one atom of fluorine to make a compound. Use the pattern from lithium,
beryllium, boron, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen to help.
b. Now look at the properties of fluorine. Did you guess correctly in part a?
c. Is fluorine a metal?
d. Notice the chemical properties of fluorine. Find two other elements with properties very,
very similar to the properties of fluorine. Look at a periodic table. Where are these
elements listed on the table in relation to fluorine?
13. Neon is the next element after fluorine, in order of increasing atomic mass.
a. Before you look at the properties of neon, try to predict how many atoms of hydrogen
combine with one atom of neon to make a compound. Use the pattern from lithium,
beryllium, boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and fluorine to help.
b. Now look at the properties of neon. Did you guess correctly in part a?
c. Is neon a metal?
d. Find three other elements on the sheets with properties very, very similar to the
properties of neon. Look at a periodic table. Where are these elements listed on the table
in relation to neon?
14. Go back to lithium on the periodic table. Look at the sequence of properties beginning with
lithium and ending with neon. Now, look at the sequence of properties beginning with
sodium and ending with argon. What similarities can you find in the sequence of properties?
You can now answer questions 20 and 21 on the Third Homework.
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