IMPORTANT NOTES:
>Scientists group families by their chemical properties.
>You most likely wont find more than 40 elements in your body.
>95% of your body is made up of hydrogen (H), carbon (C), nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus (P), and calcium (Ca).
>A quark combines together to [[#|form]] composite particles called hadrons.
Now we're getting to the [[#|heart]] and soul of the way your universe works. Elements are the [[#|building blocks]] for all matter. We talked about quarks in the atoms section. They are smaller than the main components of an element such as electrons, protons, and neutrons. Only when those parts come together do we have atoms with recognizable traits. Some subatomic particles combine to make an oxygen (O) atom. Others can combine to [[#|form]] a nitrogen (N) atom. It's the elements that are different and unique, even though they are made of the same pieces.
We sometimes use the terms atom and element to mean the same thing. Remember that atom is the general term. Everything is made of atoms. The term element is used to describe atoms with specific characteristics. There are about 120 different elements. You are made up of billions and billions of atoms but you probably won't find more than 40 elements (types of atoms) in your body. Chemists have figured out that over 95% of your body is made up of hydrogen (H), carbon (C), nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus (P), and calcium (Ca).
The Same Everywhere
As far as we know, there are only so many basic elements. Up to this point in time, we have discovered/created over 120. While there may be more out there to discover, the basic elements remain the same. Iron (Fe) atoms found on Earth are identical to iron atoms found on meteorites. The iron atoms on Mars that make the soil red are the same too.
With the tools you learn here, you can explore and understand the Universe. You will never stop discovering new reactions and compounds, but the elements will remain the same.
The List of Elements
We've got eighteen elements to choose from. Since the launch of the site, we've been asked, "Why [[#|start]] with 18?" We only have eighteen, because the rules for the first eighteen elements are very straightforward: (1) Electrons fit nicely into three shells. Remember that the shells are the places you will find the electrons as they spin around the nucleus. (2) These elements make up most of the matter in the Universe. (3) It's a lot easier to remember facts about 18 elements than over 100 elements.
|| Element 1: Hydrogen Element 2: Helium Element 3: Lithium Element 4: Beryllium Element 5: Boron Element 6: Carbon Element 7: Nitrogen Element 8: Oxygen Element 9: Fluorine
Element 10: Neon Element 11: Sodium Element 12: Magnesium Element 13: Aluminum Element 14: Silicon Element 15: Phosphorus Element 16: Sulfur Element 17: Chlorine Element 18: Argon
Who are we kidding? We know you want information on more than eighteen elements. We've added the next 18 elements from the fourth period (row) of the periodic table. You need to remember that this is the first row with transition elements. The transition metals have electron configurations that are a little different from the first 18 elements. Make sure you understand the first 18 before you move on to this set.
|| Element 19: Potassium Element 20: Calcium Element 21: Scandium Element 22: Titanium Element 23: Vanadium Element 24: Chromium Element 25: Manganese Element 26: Iron Element 27: Cobalt
Element 28: Nickel Element 29: Copper Element 30: Zinc Element 31: Galium Element 32: Germanium Element 33: Arsenic Element 34: Selenium Element 35: Bromine Element 36: Krypton
As you probably saw, the periodic table is organized like a big grid. The elements are placed in specific locations because of the way they look and act. If you have ever looked at a grid, you know that there are rows (left to right) and columns (up and down). The periodic table has rows and columns, and they each mean something different.
You've got Your Periods...
Periodic Table showing PeriodsEven though they skip some squares in between, all of the rows go left to right. When you look at a periodic table, each of the rows is considered to be a different period (Get it? Like PERIODic table.). In the periodic table, elements have something in common if they are in the same row. All of the elements in a period have the same number of atomic orbitals. Every element in the top row (the first period) has one orbital for its electrons. All of the elements in the second row (the second period) have two orbitals for their electrons. It goes down the periodic table like that. At this time, the maximum number of electron orbitals or electron shells for any element is seven.
...and Your Groups
Periodic Table showing GroupsNow you know about periods. The periodic table also has a special name for its columns. When a column goes from top to bottom, it's called a group. The elements in a group have the same number of electrons in their outer orbital. Those outer electrons are also called valence electrons. They are the ones involved in chemical bonds with other elements.
Every element in the first column (group one) has one electron in its outer shell. Every element in the second column (group two) has two electrons in the outer shell. As you keep counting the columns, you'll know how many electrons are in the outer shell. There are some exceptions to the order when you look at the transition elements, but you get the general idea. Transition elements start to add electrons to the second-to-last shell.
Two at the Top
Periodic Table showing hydrogen and heliumHydrogen (H) and helium (He) are special elements. Hydrogen can have the talents and electrons of two groups: one and seven. To scientists, hydrogen is sometimes missing an electron, and sometimes has an extra one. Helium is different from all of the other elements. It can only have two electrons in its outer shell. Even though it only has two, it is still grouped with elements that have eight (i.e., noble gases). The noble gases and helium are all "happy," because their outermost electron shell is full. The elements in the center section are called transition elements. They have special electron rules too.
We've got 18 elements to choose from. From the beginning we've been asked, "Why only cover 18?" The rules for the first 18 elements are very straightforward:
(1) Electrons fit nicely into three shells. Remember that the shells are the places you will find the electrons as they spin around the nucleus. (2) These elements make up most of the matter in the Universe. (3) It is a lot easier to remember facts about 18 elements than over 100 elements.
THE LIST
Element 1: Hydrogen Element 2: Helium Element 3: Lithium Element 4: Beryllium Element 5: Boron Element 6: Carbon Element 7: Nitrogen Element 8: Oxygen Element 9: Fluorine Element 10: Neon Element 11: Sodium Element 12: Magnesium Element 13: Aluminum Element 14: Silicon Element 15: Phosphorus Element 16: Sulfur Element 17: Chlorine Element 18: Argon
More Than 18?
Yes, it's true. We have added elements 18-36 to our list. You can learn about element origins, pronunciation, atomic structure, and locations. This next set of elements is from the fourth period/row of the table. Be aware... The easy rules don't apply here. We tried to make things as simple as possible.
Element 19: Potassium Element 20: Calcium Element 21: Scandium Element 22: Titanium Element 23: Vanadium Element 24: Chromium Element 25: Manganese Element 26: Iron Element 27: Cobalt Element 28: Nickel Element 29: Copper Element 30: Zinc Element 31: Gallium Element 32: Germanium Element 33: Arsenic Element 34: Selenium Element 35: Bromine Element 36: Krypton
Families Stick Together
Different elements behave in similar waysWe just covered the columns and rows of the periodic table. There are also other, less specific, groups of elements. These groups are all over the table. Scientists group these families of elements by their chemical properties. Each family reacts in a different way with the outside world. Metals behave differently than gases, and there are even different types of metals. Some elements don't react, while others are very reactive, and some are good conductors of electricity.
The columns of the periodic table are often used to define families. The noble gases are all located in the far right column of the table. That column is labeled Group Zero. Other families can be made of elements in a series. A good example of a series of elements is the transition metal family.
The thing to remember is that a family of elements can be found in several ways. You need to run tests and study the elements to determine their properties. Only after that testing can you determine what family an element belongs in.
Examples of Families
- Alkali Metals - Alkaline Earth Metals - Transition Metals - Halogen Gases - Noble Gases
Examples of Physical Properties
- Density - Boiling Point - Melting Point - Conductivity - Heat Capacity
Examples of Chemical Properties
- Valence - Reactivity - Radioactivity