Chapter 3 Section 3 Notes
Families of Elements
The Periodic Table
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Elements are classified as metals,
nonmetals, and metalloids
(semiconductors).
Metals are found on the left side of the
periodic table, while nonmetals are on
the right side.
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The only exception is hydrogen, which is
the only nonmetal on the left side.
Metals, Nonmetals, and
Metalloids
Characteristics of Metals
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Metals are good
conductors of heat and
electricity.
Metals are shiny solids
that can be shaped.
Metals are ductile (can
be stretched into thin
wires).
Metals are malleable
(can be pounded into
thin sheets).
A chemical property of
metal is its reaction
with water which
results in corrosion.
Characteristics of Nonmetals
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Non-metals are poor
conductors of heat
and electricity.
Non-metals are not
ductile or malleable.
Solid non-metals are
dull, brittle and break
easily.
Many non-metals are
gases, but can be
solids or liquids.
Sulfur
Characteristics of Metalloids
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Metalloids (metallike) have properties
of both metals and
non-metals.
They are solids that
can be shiny or dull.
They conduct heat
and electricity better
than non-metals but
not as well as
metals.
They are ductile and
malleable.
Hydrogen
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The hydrogen square sits atop Family
1, but it is not a member of that family;
Hydrogen is in a class of its own.
It’s a gas at room temperature.
It has one proton and one electron in
its one and only energy level.
Hydrogen only needs 2 electrons to fill
up its valence shell.
Alkali Metals: Group 1
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The alkali metal
family is found in the
first column (group)
of the periodic table.
Atoms of the alkali
metals have 1
valence electron.
They are extremely
reactive because
their single valence
electron can easily
be removed to form
a positive ion.
Alkali Metals: Group 1
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They are shiny, have
the consistency of
clay, and are easily
cut with a knife.
They react violently
with water.
Alkali metals are
never found as free
elements in nature;
they are always
bonded with another
element because
they are so reactive.
What are the alkali metals?
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Lithium (Li)
Sodium (Na)
Potassium (K)
Rubidium (Rb)
Cesium (Cs)
Francium (Fr)
Alkaline-Earth Metals: Group 2
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The alkaline-earth
metal family is
found in the second
column (group) of
the periodic table.
Atoms of AlkalineEarth metals have
2 valence
electrons.
Alkaline-Earth Metals: Group 2
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They are never
found uncombined
in nature because
they are reactive.
To bond, they lose
their 2 valence
electrons to form
cations.
What are the alkaline-earth
metals?
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Beryllium (Be)
Magnesium (Mg)
Calcium (Ca)
Strontium (Sr)
Barium (Ba)
Radium (Ra)
Transition Metals: Groups 3-12
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Transition Elements
include those
elements in groups
3-12.
These are the metals
you are probably
most familiar with:
copper, tin, zinc,
iron, nickel, gold,
and silver.
They are good
conductors of heat
and electricity.
Transition Metals: Groups 3-12
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The compounds of
transition metals are
usually brightly
colored and are often
used to color paints.
Transition elements
typically have 1 or 2
valence electrons,
which they lose when
they form bonds with
other atoms.
Transition Metals: Groups 3-12
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Transition elements have properties similar
to one another and to other metals, but their
properties do not fit in with those of any
other family.
Many transition metals combine chemically
with oxygen to form compounds called
oxides.
They are less reactive than the alkali metals
and are usually shiny and hard.
The Boron Family: Group 13
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The Boron Family
is named after the
first element in the
family.
Atoms in this family
have 3 valence
electrons.
This family includes
the most abundant
metal in the earth’s
crust: aluminum.
What elements are in the
Boron Family?
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This family includes:
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a metalloid: boron (B)
The rest are metals: aluminum (Al),
gallium (Ga), indium (In), and thallium
(Tl)
The Carbon Family: Group 14
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Atoms of this family
have 4 valence
electrons.
The element carbon
is called the “basis of
life.” There is an
entire branch of
chemistry devoted to
carbon compounds
called organic
chemistry.
What elements are in the
Carbon Family?
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This family includes:
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A non-metal: Carbon (C)
Metalloids: Silicon (Si) and
Germanium (Ge)
And metals: Tin (Sn) and Lead (Pb)
3 Forms of Carbon
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Graphite: a grayish black crystal substance
used for pencil lead, oil, and lubricant in
machines
Diamond: it is the hardest known natural
substance
Fullerenes: a form of carbon that is not
graphite or diamond; composed of 60 or
more carbon atoms and occur naturally in
small amounts; some molecules are often
called “Bucky balls”.
The Nitrogen Family: Group 15
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The nitrogen family
is named after the
element that makes
up 78% of our
atmosphere.
Atoms in the
nitrogen family
have 5 valence
electrons. They
tend to share
electrons when
they bond.
What elements are in the
Nitrogen Family?
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This family includes:
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The non-metals: Nitrogen (N) and
Phosphorus (P)
The metalloids: Arsenic (As) and
Antimony (Sb)
A metal: Bismuth (Bi)
The Oxygen Family: Group 16
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Atoms of this family
have 6 valence
electrons.
Most elements in this
family share
electrons when
forming compounds.
Oxygen is the most
abundant element in
the earth’s crust. It is
extremely active and
combines with
almost all elements.
What elements are in the
Oxygen Family?
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This family includes:
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The nonmetals: oxygen (O), sulfur (S),
and selenium (Se)
A metalloid: tellurium (Te)
A metal: polonium (Po)
Oxygen Atom
Halogens: Group 17
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Halogens have 7
valence electrons,
which explains why
they are the most
active non-metals.
They are never
found free in nature.
Halogen atoms only
need to gain 1
electron to fill their
outermost energy
level.
They react with alkali
metals to form salts.
What are the halogens?
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Fluorine (F)
Chlorine (Cl)
Bromine (Br)
Iodine (I)
Astatine (At)
Noble Gases: Group 18
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Noble Gases are
colorless gases that
are extremely unreactive.
One important
property of the noble
gases is their inactivity.
They are inactive
because their
outermost energy level
is full, so they exist in
nature as single atoms
rather than as
molecules.
Noble Gases: Group 18
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With the exception of
Helium, they have 8
valence electrons.
Because they do not
readily combine with
other elements to
form compounds, the
noble gases are
called inert
(nonreactive).
All the noble gases
are found in small
amounts in the
earth's atmosphere.
What are the Noble Gases?
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Helium (He)
Neon (Ne)
Argon (Ar)
Krypton (Kr)
Xenon (Xe)
Radon (Rn)
Rare Earth Metals
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The thirty rare earth
elements are made of
the lanthanide and
actinide series.
One element of the
lanthanide series and
most of the elements
in the actinide series
are called transuranium, which means
“synthetic” or “manmade”.