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Elements:

An element is a pure substance which cannot be broken down by chemical means. An element is made up of three key components: protons, neutrons, and electrons. Elements are strategically sorted on the Periodic Table to keep everything organized and easy to refer to. All other substance that are not elements, are made up of elements. That is called a compound.

Subatomic Particles of an Atom:

Protons: Subatomic particles with positive electron charge. The relative charge of a single proton is +1. The mass of a proton is very small. Protons are located in the nucleus of an atom. The nucleus is located at the center of an atom.

Neutrons: Subatomic particles with no electric charge. They have a little more mass than protons but still have a very little amount of mass. Neutrons are located in the nucleus of an atom with the protons.

Electrons: Subatomic particles with negative charge. Unlike protons or neutrons, electrons are located outside of the nucleus. They revolve around it in an electron shell very quickly.

Elements in a Periodic Table:

On a Periodic Table, you can easily see the name of the element, the atomic number, and the atomic mass. The atomic number is on the top of the element name. The atomic mass is underneath the element's name.

Atomic Number: Elements are classified by the number of protons they have so, the atomic number tells you the number of protons there are in an atom. The number of protons are the same as the number of neutrons because there cannot be any charge in an element. This means, that you can also identify the number electrons of an atom: Number of Protons=Atomic number, Number of Electrons=Atomic number.

Atomic Mass:

The atomic mass is located beneath the element name. The atomic mass tells you the mass of the element in atomic mass units (AMU). The atomic mass is also used to help find the number of neutrons in an element. Unlike protons, the number of neutrons is not directly stated in the periodic table. In order to find the number of neutrons, you need to Subtract the atomic number from the Mass (rounded to the nearest whole number).

The Periodic Table:

The Periodic table organizes all of the 118 elements into one place. They are organized perfectly, to where you can understand many things about an atom just by looking at the table. A periodic table has rows and columns. The rows are called periods, and the columns are called groups, or families.

Families/Groups: The columns in the periodic table. Each family is related. They share similar properties. The group numbers also tell us the number of valence electrons in each element in that group. The number of valence electrons for each element is their period number. Valence electrons are the electrons on the outer shell of an atom. If an element is in groups 11-18, then you remove the tens place and only use the ones place. For example, Carbon is in period 14 so it has 4 valence electrons. Elements that are closer to the ends of the periodic table are more reactive. Groups 1 and 17 are the most reactive because those atoms are closets to the rule of full or empty. Group 18 is not reactive because it's outer shell is full.

Periods: Periods are the rows in the periodic table. The periods help indicate the energy levels of the elements. It also tells you the number of outer rings there are in an atom.

Metals, Non-metals, and Metalloids:

Elements are also organized by metals, non-metals, and metalloids. Each category has its own types of physical properties:

Metals: The metals are located on the bottom left in the periodic table. Here are some of the physical properties of metal:

- Malleable

- High density

- Solid at room temperature

- Good conductors

- Lustrous

- Ductile

Non-metals: With the exception of hydrogen, non-metals are located towards the right side of the Periodic Table. Here are some of the physical properties of nonmetals:

- Not lustrous

- Poor conductors

- Non Ductile

- Brittle Solids

- May be solids, liquids

or gasses.

- Transparent as 

a thin sheet

- Not sonourous

Metalloids:  These elements are located right between the metals and non-metals on the periodic table. Here are some of the physical properties of nonmetals:

- Share some properties of metal and some of non-metals.

- Some are shiny, some are dull

- Some are malleable and some are not

- Some are ductile and some are not

- Semiconductors of electricity

Metalloids are a mix of metals and non-metals. They have properties that are similar to metals and some that are similar to nonmetals. Since these are located between metals and non-metals on a periodic table, these elements share qualities from each section

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Families in a periodic table

Alkali Metals:

Group one contains elements on the far left of the periodic table. These metals are so soft that they can be cut by a knife. They also have a relatively low melting point. These metals also have a low density and are good heat conductors. All Alkali metals exhibit similar chemical properties because they all have one valence electron. These metals are extremely reactive because they are very close to the rule of full. These elements generally like to react with elements in group 17. Elements in this family are Lithium, Sodium, Potassium, Rubidium, Caesium, and Francium.  Lithium can be used in batteries. There are also Lithium carbonate pills to control mood swings. Sodium can be used to create salt. Sodium hydroxide can also be used as a drain opener. Banana's have a lot of potassium.

Alkaline Earth Metals:

Group two is on the left side of the Alkali metals. These metals are so soft that they can be cut by a knife. These metals are a lustrous, silvery white color. They have low densities, melting points, and boiling points. These are somewhat reactive metals at standard temperature. All of these elements react well with hydrogen. Elements in this period are Beryllium, Magnesium, Calcium, Strontium, Barium, and Radium. Beryllium is relatively light and has a wide temperature range. It can be used in aircraft production in nozzles of liquid-fueled spacecrafts. Magnesium is vital for a healthy living. magnesium can be obtained by eating foods such as nuts and certain vegetables. Calcium can be used in construction sites. Strontium can be used to produce scarlet flames in fireworks.

Transition Metals:

This family has many elements in it. Some include Nickel, Zinc, Iridium, and Mercury. This group is between families 2 and 13. Transition metals are good conductors of heat, can be hammered or bent easily, and have high densities. They are less reactive than alkali metals and are often used as catalysts. The element Zinc can be found in toothpaste. Copper can be found in wires because they are fantastic conductors of electricity. Mercury is often used in thermometers to measure heat. The element Titanium is often used for aircrafts due to their low density and high durability. Many of the elements which can be found in this category are common day metals like gold and others which were stated above.