Family Names & Navigating the Periodic Table

Metals, Nonmetals & Metalloids Part 1 Metals, Nonmetals & Metalloids

Highlight this stair-step line to separate the metals from the non-metals

Everything above and to the right is a nonmetal

Nonmetals Tend to gain electrons Form negative ions (-) Do not conduct electricity Are brittle (unmalleable)

Everything below and to the left is a metal

Metals Tend to lose electrons Form positive ions (+) Are malleable and ductile Conduct electricity

Metalloids Mark these with an *: B, Si, Ge, As, Sb, Te, Po These sometimes act like a metal, sometimes like a nonmetal.

Families in the Periodic table Part II Families in the Periodic table

Important definition: Valence Electrons Valence electrons are the number of electrons in the outer-most energy level (outer-most shell) of an atom They are completely responsible for how an element reacts with other elements.

Elements are arranged in Families: Groups or Columns (i.e up and down) Families have similar properties Usually have the same number of valence electrons React similarly

Alkali Metals The first column One valence electron Explosively reactive Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr Form bases (alkaline) solutions

Alkaline Earth Metals Are the second column Have two valence electrons Stable in air, but React quickly with a little energy Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Ra Make up many minerals

Transition Metals are everything in Columns 3 - 12 Tend to be what we think of when we think metals Cr – Chrome, Au – Gold, Fe – Iron, Cu – Copper Have no rule for valence electrons

Noble Gases are the very last column Have eight valence electrons except Helium (He) has 2 Are very stable Do not react with anything (usually)

Halogens Column 17 next to noble gases Have seven valence electrons Extremely reactive F, Cl, Br, I, At Often used to kill bacteria (think choline bleach, bromine in spas or pools)

Collectively called “Representative Elements” 13:Boron Family, 3 valence electrons 14: Carbon Family, 4 valence electrons 15:Nitrogen Family, 5 valence electrons 16: Oxygen Family, 6 valence electrons

The Two rows separated at the bottom are referred to as the Rare Earth Metals and are referred to by the first element in their row

The First Row are the Lanthanides, After La, Lanthanum The Second Row are the Actinides, after Ac, Actinium

Everything bigger than Uranium (#92) is human-made. They are created in a laboratory rather than “discovered”. They are all radioactive and most only stay together for less than a second.