“What Element am I?”   Use the following link to answer the questions in this activity: www.sheppardsoftware.com/periodictable_L.html  

I am a soft, gray alkaline earth metal I am a soft, gray alkaline earth metal. I am the fifth most abundant element in the earth’s crust. In a healthy diet I am found in fish, nuts, beans and dairy products. Be careful not to ingest too much of me or you may get kidney stones. However, without me, your bones and teeth will not form correctly. I am calcium  

I am one of the transition metals I am one of the transition metals. I am used during the production of glass to do two things. First, when added in high concentrations, I produce violet-colored glass. Second, when added to glass that has a greenish tinge due to the presence of iron, I remove that color. I am often added to gasoline to prevent the car’s engine from knocking and, without me, steel and iron could not be produced. I am manganese

I am also a transition metal I am also a transition metal. I am the fourth most common metal in use, trailing only iron, aluminum and copper in annual production. Why am I so popular? It’s probably because I am used in so many alloys. An alloy is a mix of metals that uses the best qualities of each to make a suitable material for a certain job. For example, I am often added to copper to produce brass. Brass is used for many things because of its strength and corrosion-resistance. I am also used to “galvanize” (coat) steel to keep it from rusting. I am zinc

Because I am an alkali metal, I react violently with water Because I am an alkali metal, I react violently with water. Also, I “oxidize” (react with oxygen) very quickly. Because of this, I must always be stored in oil to prevent contact with the oxygen in the air. But you already knew that ALL alkali metals have these properties, right? So what makes me different? Well, for one thing, I am used in soaps along with certain fatty acids. Also, I am used to “descale” metals (make the surface smooth). Oh, one more thing, I am used in “esters” which are organic chemical compounds that give products their characteristic smells. So, the next time you smell strawberry Jello, you will know that I am at work! I am sodium

I am one of the alkaline earth metals I am one of the alkaline earth metals. I don’t mean to brag, but I have excellent thermal conductivity and one of the highest melting points of the light metals. Because I am very brittle, I am very seldom used alone. However, I am used in many alloys as a hardening agent. I am Beryllium

I am a soft, silvery metal that reacts quickly with oxygen and water I am a soft, silvery metal that reacts quickly with oxygen and water. In fact, I react so easily with other elements, I am never found all by myself in nature. I am always bonded to another element in a compound. That should tell you what group I am in, right? Anyway, I am sometimes used in the pharmaceutical industry to produce drugs that will help stabilize moods. Also, the last time you used a flashlight, I was right there in the batteries helping to produce the electric energy it needed to produce light. I am lithium

I am a transition metal with properties that make me very popular for a number of reasons. First, I am used most often in the form of a compound in which I bond with oxygen. This compound is an intensely white permanent pigment that is used in toothpastes, plastics and paints. The paints that I am used in are extremely good for covering up things. Also, these paints are excellent reflectors of infrared radiation. That makes me popular with astronomers. Want to know another thing about me? I am extremely strong (even at high temperatures), lightweight, corrosion resistant and able to withstand very high temperatures. That is why I am used to build aircrafts, naval ships, spacecrafts and missiles. Oh, and one more thing, if you know someone who has had a knee or hip replacement, chances are their new joint was made from me! I am titanium

I am the most abundant metal on earth but am hardly ever found in the free state. That means I am most often mixed with other metals in a substance called “ore”. I am used in the production of steel, an alloy that is made of different metals and some non-metals such as carbon. Find where carbon is located on the periodic table. From its placement, you would have known that it was a non-metal even without me telling you that, right? I am the most used of all metals, making up 95% of all the metal tonnage produced worldwide. Why am I in so much demand? It’s because of my low cost and high strength, which makes me indispensable in making cars, hulls of large ships and buildings. Oh, and by the way, I am a transition metal.   I am iron