What are Periods on a Periodic Table?

    Periods sort out the number of electron shells each element has. They are the horizontal rows of the periodic table. On the very left of the periodic table, there are numbers displayed, which means elements in the same period all have the same number of energy shells. 

What are Families on a Periodic Table?

Families or groups are the vertical columns on the periodic table because of their similar chemical behavior. All the elements in the same family have the same number of valence electrons and similar chemical properties.

A  Protons Purpose

    A proton is a subatomic particle found in the nucleus of every atom. The number of protons determines the element and its atomic number, so each element cannot have the same number of protons. It has a positive charge and a mass of 1 AMU. 

Elemental Properties

                        Metal

Metals: The majority of the elements on the periodic table are metals. Metals are shiny, malleable, ductile, and hard. Metals are also good conductors of electricity.  A few examples of metals are Gold, Silver, Iron, Uranium, and Zinc.

The photo shows which elements are metal and their location on the periodic table.

Elemental Properties

                    Metalloids

Metalloids: Metalloids contain characteristics of both metals and non-metals and are also called semimetals. Metalloids are usually semiconductors, which means that they both insulate and conduct electricity.  A few examples of metalloid elements are Silicon and Boron.

Location of Metalloids on the periodic table

Elemental Properties

                    Non-Metals

Non-metals: Non-metals do not conduct heat or electricity very well. Non-metals are typically brittle and are not easily molded into shapes. They are found on the right side of the periodic table. Non-metals can be gases, liquids, or solids. Non-metals are dull in color, not shiny like metals. A few examples of nonmetals are Hydrogen and Carbon.

Valence Electrons + Reactivity

The number of valence electrons is determined by how many electrons are on the outermost shell.  If there are 8 or fewer valence electrons, that means the element is reactive, if there are more than 8, the element is nonreactive. 

Family Properties

There are 11 families in total. 

Alkali Metals, Alkaline Earth Metals, Transition Metals, Boron Family, Carbon Family, Nitrogen Family, Oxygen Family, Halogens, and Noble Gases

Alkali metals are the elements found on the left side of the periodic table. They are the most reactive elements that usually lose their one valence electron to form compounds with nonmetals. Alkali metals have high thermal and electrical conductivity, they are ductile and malleable. They react with water to form basic hydroxides and liberate hydrogen. A few elements that fall into this family would be Potassium (K), Lithium (Li) , and Sodium (Na).

Alkali Metals

Sodium           Lithium

- You can use Lithium in real life for rechargeable batteries for mobile phones, and laptops. They are used as batteries for things like toys and clocks.

- Sodium is used in real life when you add it to food and used to de-ice roads in winter.

Alkaline Earth Metals

Alkaline Earth Metals are found on the second group on the periodic table. The elements in this column are reactive and they are all silver-colored and soft, and have relatively low densities, melting points, and boiling points. They are also good conductors of electricity and they resist attack by concentrated nitric acid. A few element examples for this family would be Magnesium (Mg), Beryllium (Be), and Radium (Ra).

Beryllium     Magnesium

- Beryllium is used in real life to help make gyroscopes, springs, electrical contacts, and non-sparking tools.

-Magnesium is used in real life because it's used in flares, fireworks and sparklers.

Transition Metals

The transition metals are found in the short columns in the center of the periodic table. They are good conductors of heat and electricity, they can be hammered or bent into shape easily, they are usually hard and tough, and they have high densities. Many are used as catalysts and they form coloured ions of different charges. A few elements in this family would be Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), and Nickel (Ni).

Iron                     Nickel

-Iron is used for machinery and tools, as well as vehicles. It also contributes in making structural elements for buildings, bridges, and aircraft.

-Nickel is used in real life because it is used for armour plating and used in batteries.

Boron Family

The boron group is the chemical element in group 13 of the periodic table. This family has an unusually high melting point because of the very strong crystal lattice. It dissolves in molten metal and reacts with hot nitric acid when in powder form. A few elements in this family would be Boron (B), aluminum (A), and Gallium (Ga).