Reading the Periodic Table
To understand all of the information in the periodic table a scientist has to know the correct way to interpret with how the periodic table is arranged.
The color coded periodic table in your notebook organizes elements within the table according to the characteristics; this is part of the family organization.
* The table sorts elements by atomic number. The number INCREASES from left to right.
* The lightest elements are in the upper LEFT of the table while the heaviest are in the bottom RIGHT of the table.
NOTES
THE COLUMNS ARE GROUPS OR FAMILIES
1
2
Alkali Metals Alkaline Earth
Metals
3
4
5
III
Carbon
Nitrogen
6
7
Oxygen Halogens Nobel Gases
Alkali
Alkaline Earth Group 3
Group 4
Group 5
Group 6
Halogens Nobel Gases or
Metals have
Metals have 2 has 3
has 4
has 5
has 6
have 7
one valence
valence
valence
valence
valence
valence
valence
electron
electrons
electrons
electrons
electrons
electrons
electrons
1VE
2VE
3VE
4VE
5VE
6VE
7VE
Highly
Reactive
Very Reactive
Group 8 or 0
are
completely
stable and need
no
electrons.
Typically these
Volatile with
elements do not
Water
bond with
Reactivity Decreases across the Periodic Table Groups
Density, Boiling, and Melting point increase across the Periodic Table Groups
THE ROWS ARE PERIODS
8
Period
Important Information
1
Shell 1 maximum electrons 2
2
Shell 2 maximum electrons 8
3
Shell 3 maximum electrons 18 (can be stable at 8)
4
Shell 4 maximum electrons 32
5
Shell 5
6
Shell 6
7
Shell 7
others.
Non Metals
Alkali Metals
1
2
Columns = Groups or Families
Rows = Periods
Alkali Earth
Metals
Nobel Gases
Metalloids
Halogens
Rare Earth Metals
3
4
5
8
6
7