What are elements?

An element is a substance which cannot be split

into a simpler substance by a chemical reaction.
In the Periodic
Table there are
just over 100 known
elements, of which
most are solids or
gases at room
temperature. A chemical reaction(above)
During the nineteenth century, many chemists
tried to arrange the elements in an order which
related to the size of their atoms and also
showed regular repeating patterns in their
behaviour. One scientist who helped to develop
the Periodic Table was named Dimitri
Mendeleev, in 1869. He was a Russian scientist,
and his work is still used today in the modern
periodic table.

Some important scientists

Johann Dobereiner
Johann Dobereiner was born on December 13
1780 and he died on March 24 1849 aged 69.
Johann Dobereiner was born in Germany (Hof,
Bavaria). He studied chemistry, as a result he
became a professor at the university of Jena in
1810.
Dobereiner discovered trends in particular
groups of elements into groups of three, which
he called triads. They had similar chemical and
physical properties. For example, the average
mass of lithium and potassium was close to the
atomic mass of sodium. He found a similar
pattern with calcium, strontium, barium,
sulphur, selenium and tellurium. Also the same
pattern with chlorine, bromine and iodine.
Dobereiner did many experiments as well.

John Newlands
John Newlands was born on November 26 1837
in Lambeth, Surrey, England and he died July 29
1898 aged 61. He was a British scientist who
developed the periodic table with the help of
the rest of the triad- Dimitri Mendeleev and
Johann Dobereiner. In his early life, he was
home-schooled but went on to study at the
Royal College of Chemistry. Newlands was the
first person to come up with the periodic table.
In 1865, John Newlands published his Law of
Octaves. This law was the elements arranged in
order of their
relative atomic mass.
In this process, he
found out that each
element was similar
to the element eight
places further.

Dimitri Mendeleev
Dimitri Mendeleev was born on February 8 1834
in Verkhnie Aremzyani, Russia. Mendeleev was
very passionate about chemistry. He had a
dream to find a better way of organising the
elements. His dream led to the discovery of the
periodic law and table. Mendeleev found a way
to logically organise the elements in the
periodic table. He wrote the names of 65
elements on cards with one element on each
card. He then wrote some properties of the
cards, including atomic weight. Mendeleev was
described as the father of the periodic table.
This was because he discovered that the atomic
weight was important in the behaviour of it, but
he couldnt recognise a pattern. Today, in the
periodic table, you can now see a number above
each element.
This is called
an atomic
number.

The Periodic Table we use today

Dimitri Mendeleevs elements in the early
periodic table, was to be placed in appropriate
groups according to atomic numbers, instead of
atomic masses.
Initially, Mendeleev put the elements in order
of their relative atomic mass, but this gave him
severe problems. One of the problems was that
some elements had a lower relative atomic mass
than others. For example, iodine had a lower
relative atomic mass than tellurium.
The modern periodic table
needed to be clearer; this
involved an important key
feature. This key feature was
the use of an atomic number, to
order the elements.
An elements proton number,
which is known as the atomic
number, is the number of protons in its atoms.

The structure of an atom

Atoms are made up of three particles: protons,

neutrons and electrons. Neutrons are neutral,
but protons and electrons are electrically
charged. Protons and neutrons are heavier than
electrons and remain in the nucleus. The nucleus
controls the atom.

How the chemical properties of an element

are linked to the structure of its atoms
The chemical properties
of an element
Atomic

There are 2 protons in the 1st shell.

Number

There are 8 protons in the 2nd shell.

There are 14 protons in the 3rd shell.

Chemical

There are 2 protons in the 4th shell.

Symbol
Name
Atomic Mass

The structure of an
Iron atom
Protons
Neutrons

Nucleus

Why elements in the same group have similar

chemicals properties

Elements on the periodic table can be grouped into families

based on their chemical properties. Each family has a
specific name to differentiate it from the other families in
the periodic table. Elements in each family react
differently with other elements.
The horizontal rows are called periods and are labelled from
1 to 7. The vertical columns are called groups and are
labelled from 1 to 18.

Hydrogen:
Hydrogen belongs to a family of its own
Hydrogen is a diatomic, reactive gas
It is a non- metal
Conduct Electricity
1 electron in the outer shell
Group 1-Alkali metals:
Very reactive metals
Always combined with something else. e.g. salt
Alkali metals include: Lithium, Sodium, Potassium,
Rubidium, Cesium and Francium
Group 2-Alkaline Earth Metals:
2 electrons in the outer shell
White and malleable
Reactive, but less than alkali metals
Conduct electricity
Always combined with non-metals in nature
Several of these elements are important mineral
nutrients (such as Magnesium and Calcium)
Groups 3-12-Transition metals:
Good conductors of heat and electricity
Some are used for jewellery
The transition metals are able to put up to 32
electrons in their second to last shell
Can bond with many elements in a variety of
shapes

Group 13- Boron Family:

3 electrons in the outer shell
Most are metals
Boron is a metalloid
Group 14-Carbon Family:
4 electrons in the outer shell
Contains metals, metalloids and a non-metal
(Carbon)
Contains elements important to life and computers
Carbon is the basis for an entire branch of
chemistry
Silicon and Germanium are important semiconductors
Group 15-Nitrogen Family:
5 electrons in the outer shell
Can share electrons to form compound
Contains metals, metalloids and non-metals
Nitrogen makes up over of the atmosphere
Group 16-Oxygen Family:
6 electrons in the outer shell
Contains metals, metalloids and non-metals
Reactive
Oxygen is necessary for respiration
Many things that stink contain sulphur (rotten
eggs, garlic and skunks)

Group 17-Halogens:
7 electrons in the outer shell
All are non-metals
Very reactive
Often bonded with elements from group 1
Always found combined with other elements in
nature
Used as disinfectants and to strengthen teeth
Group 18-The Noble Gases:
Very unreactive gases
Used in lighted neon signs
They are colourless and odourless

Rare Earth Metals:

Some are radioactive
The rare earths are silver, silvery-white, or grey
metals
Conduct electricity

Balanced Chemical Equations:

sodium + oxygen =
4Na(s) +

sodium oxide.

O2(g)

2Na2O(s)

aluminium + chlorine = aluminium chloride.

2Al(s) +

3Cl2(g)

2AlCl3(s)

aluminium + oxygen = aluminium oxide.

4Al(s) +

3O2(g)

2Al2O3(s)

calcium + chlorine = calcium chloride.

Ca(s) +

Cl2(g)

magnesium + bromine =
Mg(s) +

Br2(g)

CaCl2(s)

magnesium bromide.
MgBr2(s)