An Introduction to the
Elements of the
Periodic Table
An Interactive PowerPoint Project
By Olivia White
Computers in Education section 05
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Interactive Periodic Table
Alkali Metals
Metalloids
Focus on Sodium
Alkaline Earth Metals
Focus on Silicon
Organic Nonmetals
Transition Metals
Focus on Carbon
Focus on Silver
Halogens
Lanthanides and Actinides
Focus on Uranium
Noble Gases
“Other” Metals
Focus on Lead
Author’s page
Resource page
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Look for the “FOCUS” buttons to hone in on certain important elements!
Organic Nonmetals
Metalloids
C
Na
Alkaline Earth Metals
Si
Ag
Pb
Alkali Metals
Transition Metals
“Other” Metals
Halogens
Noble Gases
U
Lanthanides and Actinides
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Alkali Metals
The Alkali Metals make up
the first group on the
Periodic Table. They stretch
from Lithium down to
Francium. These elements
are soft, silvery metals that
oxidize quickly with air.
They also have interesting
reactions with water, as you
can see in this video:
Brainiac Alkali Metals Video
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Focus on Sodium
Sodium metal is probably
the most common alkali
metal. However, it is rarely
seen in its metallic form
(shown at far left) because
it is an easily reacting
element. You may be
familiar with its common
table salt molecule, sodium
chloride (NaCl). It is a very
useful material in chemistry
because it forms highly
soluble salts that often do
not interfere in aqueous
reactions
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Alkaline Earth Metals
Alkaline Earth Metals get their
name from the fact that their
oxides (Alkaline Earth Metal +
Oxygen) make alkaline (basic)
solutions with a pH above 7.
They are the second group on
the periodic table, right next to
the Alkali Metals. They stretch
from Beryllium down to Radium.
Like Alkali Metals, they are soft
and silvery in their pure form, and
they readily react with other
substances… though not as
explosively as the Alkali Metals
you observed in the video.
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Transition Metals
The Transition Metals stretch
across the middle of the
Periodic Table. This long list of
often similar elements may
seem monotonous and
extensive, but the transition
metals are full of interesting
properties (such as their
aqueous solutions turning many
bright colors, as seen left).
Also, the Transition Metals
include all of the precious and
most of the semi-precious
metals that society values,
including gold, silver, platinum,
and copper.
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Focus on Silver
Silver is one of the most valuable raw
metals. Interestingly, silver has
properties that make it both highly
useful for chemistry and for daily life.
Silver in its pure form does not
decompose or react readily, and it is
therefore excellent for bright jewelry
and decoration. However, in its
oxidized and aqueous forms, silver is
perfect for use in reactions and
titrations. No wonder it is so valuable!
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Lanthanides and Actinides
Usually shown in a separate block below the Periodic Table
(so it doesn’t look the extended periodic table shown below),
the Lanthanides and Actinides are as a group the heaviest set
of elements. Lanthanides are relatively common in nature
(despite their nickname “rare earth metals”) and have very
similar properties. Actinides are not as similar to each other,
but they are all radioactive, making them hazardous and
rarely seen outside of reactors and labs. Most of the actinides
are synthetic, and the two that have been found naturally
occurring are quite rare.
Lanthanides and Actinides
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Focus on Uranium
Uranium (one of the Actinides) is the
heaviest naturally occurring element.
With 92 protons and between 141 and
146 neutrons, it has a dense, heavy
nucleus that is prone to sudden
decomposition. When bombarded with
particles, the extra energy is enough to
knock neutrons free of its core and begin
chain reactions that release huge
amounts of energy. It is this property that
makes Uranium useful as a nuclear
weapon. Despite these destructive
properties, however, Uranium is also
used in glass-coloring, silk and wool
mordants, and other stains and dyes.
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“Other” Metals
This group of metals falls to the right of the
transition metals and below the descending line
of metalloids. They do not have an official
name, but they include some very important
elements. Gallium (Ga) is one of only two
elements that is liquid near room temperature
(the other being mercury, Hg). Tin (Sb) is a
common lightweight metal that has many
practical uses. Aluminum is another lightweight
household metal that is found in every day life.
Lead (Pb), though slightly toxic, is another wellknown material.
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Focus on Lead
Lead is a soft, heavy metal.
Although silvery-white when
freshly cut, it soon tarnishes to
dark grays and blacks. Lead is
a neurotoxin, meaning it
accumulates into tissues and
bones with exposure. Once
found in many paints,
construction, and materials, its
toxicity has led to its decreased
use. Now it is used only in ways
that will not lead to its absorption
into living creatures, including
soldering, batteries, and
radiation shielding.
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Metalloids
Metalloids are found around the
amphoteric line that separates
metals from nonmetals as it
descends across the p-block of the
periodic table. Metalloids are also
known as semi-metals. They have
characteristics of both metals and
nonmetals, and fit into neither
category. They have many uses as
semiconductors, and they are
highly valuable in nanotechnology
and electronics industries.
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Focus on Silicon
Silicon is the second most abundant
element on earth (following oxygen).
It is mostly found naturally in oxides,
such as sand, quartz, several
gemstones, and plant and animal cell
walls. Synthetically, it is converted
into the polymeric silcone, which has
hundreds of useful properties, to
chemistry and other industries.
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Organic Nonmetals
The Organic Nonmetals some of
the most important elements on
the Periodic Table. They are also
some of the most common
elements, because they are
present in every living thing on the
earth’s surface. Carbon, oxygen,
nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorous
are necessary for life. Because
these elements can form bonds
with multiple atoms at once, they
are generally stable and organic in
nature when they are bonded with
each other.
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Focus on Carbon
Carbon is the most common element on
earth. It is so widespread that materials
are defined as “organic” by the
presence of carbon within them.
Carbon is unique in that it prefers to
form four bonds, and because of this, all
of its forms are stable. They often
require heat to react. Because of its
flexibility, there are multiple forms of
“pure,” carbon-only substances. For
instance, diamond, graphite,
lonsdaleite, fullerenes, and amorphous
carbon are all “pure” carbon—yet their
properties are extremely different!
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Halogens
The Halogens are found in the
second-to-last group on the
Periodic Table. Halogens are
highly unstable in their
unbonded form, so they react
quickly and often with each
other to form very stable
compounds. The Halogens are
nonmetals and interact
frequently with the Organic
Nonmetals as well. As shown
to the left, when Halogens are
bonded in doublets to
themselves, they can take the
forms of liquids, solids, and
gases.
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Noble Gases
The Noble Gases are the very last
group on the Periodic Table. These
elements, all in gaseous form, are
so stable that they are hardly ever
seen in any reactions. They
earned the name “Inert Gases”
because of this unreactivity. Their
stability is due to the octet
configuration of their electrons.
Despite their unreactivity, halogens
do have uses. We are especially
familiar with them in neon lights,
which may contain neon or any of
the other halogens.
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About the Author
My name is Olivia White, and I am
a student at Grand Valley State
University. I am majoring in
chemistry with a minors in biology
and education. I will be graduating
in 2012. I hope to teach beginning
or advanced placement chemistry
to high school students.
Any comments or questions? Feel
free to email me.
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Resources
Works Cited
•The Periodic Table—Georgia Perimeter College
http://facstaff.gpc.edu/~pgore/PhysicalScience/Periodic-table.html
• Web Elements http://www.webelements.com/silicon/
• Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
Images
•Google Images
http://images.google.com/imghp?rls=org.mozilla:enUS:official&hl=en&tab=wi
Video
• “Brainiac Alkali Metals” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m55kgyApYrY
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