Periodic Table:

The periodic table lists elements by atomic number, which is the number of protons in every
atom of that element.

Elements in the periodic table are arranged in periods (rows) and groups (columns).

Periods: The horizontal rows are called periods. There are seven periods in periodic table.
Members of the same period contain same number of shells e.g members of period 1 contain one
shell, members of period 2 contain two shells and so on

Groups: The vertical columns are called groups. Groups are of two types

Main group or fundamental elements: They are eight Numbered from 1A to 8A. The elements
in these groups has constant valence

Transition elements: they are ten in number. The elements in these groups has variable valence

Group number represent number of valence electrons e.g elements of 1A contains one electron in
valence shell. Elements of Group 2 have 2 valence electrons and so on.

There are three main types of elements: metals, non metals and metalloids

1. Metals: appear on the left hand side of the the periodic table

2. Non metals appear on the right hand side of the periodic table

3. metalloids: Elements on either side of the both metals and non-metals..

Alkali metal: Any of the six chemical elements that make up

Group 1 (IA) of the periodic table—namely, lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K),
rubidium(Rb), cesium (Cs), and francium (Fr). The alkali metals are so called because reaction
with water forms alkalies

Physical properties:

They are softest metals which can even cut with knife. Softness increase down the group, They
are shiny, soft with low density. Density decrease down the group. The atomic radius and
volume increase down in the group. The melting point and Boiling point decrease down the
group.

Chemical properties: Presence of one electron in valance shell allows these metals to lose
electrons and from M+1 ions. So these elements form ionic bond when react with Oxygen, water,
Halogens etc. reactivity increase down the group, Na is more reactive then Li, K is more reactive
then Na and so on.
Reaction with oxygen: The nature of metallic oxides in alkali metals is different. For example;
Lithium forms lithium oxide

4Li + O2→2Li2O

whereas sodium forms sodium peroxide.

2Na + O2→Na2O2

Potassium, Rubidium and cesium form superoxide as they easily lose one electron

K + O2→KO2

Rb + O2→RbO2

Cs + O2→CsO2

Reactions with water:

Group 1 elements react vigorously with water to produce an alkaline metal hydroxide and
hydrogen gas. In general:

Metal + water → metal hydroxide + hydrogen

For example

sodium + water → sodium hydroxide + hydrogen

2Na + 2H2O → 2NaOH + H2

The reactivity of the alkali metals increases down the group. Lithium is the least reactive and
potassium is the most reactive of the three.

2Li + 2H2O → 2LiOH + H2

2K + 2H2O → 2kOH + H2
The Halogens:

The Group 7 elements are also known as the halogens. They include fluorine, chlorine, bromine
and iodine, which all have seven electrons in their outer shell. The halogens are non metals exists
in diatomic as molecules, Chlorine molecules have the formula Cl2, bromine Br2 and iodine I2.

Physical properties of halogens:

The halogens show trends in physical properties down the group.

Melting point and boiling point

The halogens have low melting points and boiling points. This is a typical property of non-
metals. Fluorine has the lowest melting point and boiling point. The melting points and boiling
points then increase as you go down the group.

State at room temperature

At Room temperature this temperature, fluorine and chlorine are gases, bromine is a liquid, and
iodine and astatine are solids. There is therefore a trend in state from gas to liquid to solid down
the group.

Colour

The halogens become darker as you go down the group. Fluorine is very pale yellow, chlorine is
yellow-green, and bromine is red-brown. Iodine crystals are shiny.

Density:

Halogens have a higher density. Density increase as you go down the group.

conductivity:

Halogens are bad conductors of heat and electricity.

Halogen displacement reactions

The reactivity of the halogens the Group 7 elements decreases as you move down the group.
This can be shown by looking at displacement reactions.

Example

When chlorine is added to sodium bromide solution, the chlorine takes the place of the bromine.
Because chlorine is more reactive than bromine,

The solution turns brown. This brown colour is the displaced bromine.

chlorine + sodium bromide → sodium chloride + bromine

Cl2(aq) + 2NaBr(aq) → 2NaCl(aq) + Br2(aq)

This type of reaction happens with all the halogens. A more reactive halogen displaces a less
reactive halogen from a solution of one of its salts.

Reactions with other halide ions:

Halogen displacement reactions are redox reactions because the halogens gain electrons and
the halide ions lose electrons.

When we consider one of the displacement reactions, we can see which element is being
oxidised and which is being reduced.

bromine + potassium iodide → iodine + potassium bromide

Br2 + 2KI → I2 + 2KBr

As an ionic equation (ignoring the ‘spectator’ potassium ions):

Br2 + 2I- → I2 + 2Br-

We can see that the bromine has gained electrons, so it has been reduced. The iodide ions have
lost electrons, so they have been oxidised.
Reactions with Alkali Metals:

Halogens react with alkali metals produce salts

Cl2 + 2Na → 2NaCl

Br2 + 2Na → 2NaBr

Reactions with Hydrogen:

Halogens react with hydrogen produce acids

Br2 + H2 → 2HBr

Cl2 + H2 → 2HCl

Reactivity series

If you test different combinations of the halogens and their salts, you can work out a reactivity
series for Group 7:

• the most reactive halogen displaces all of the other halogens from solutions of their
salts, and is itself displaced by none of the others

• the least reactive halogen displaces none of the others, and is itself displaced by all of
the others

It doesn’t matter whether you use sodium salts or potassium salts – it works the same for both
types.

The slideshow shows what happens when chlorine, bromine and iodine are added to various
halogen salts:
The transition metals:

The elements in the centre of the periodic table, between groups 2 and 3, are called the transition
metals. Most of the commonly used metals are there, including iron, copper, silver and gold.

Physical Properties:

The transition metals have the following properties in common:

 They form coloured compounds

 They are good conductors of heat and electricity
 They can be hammered or bent into shape easily
 They are less reactive than alkali metals such as sodium
 They have high melting points - but mercury is a liquid at room temperature
  They are usually hard and tough
 They have high densities

Uses of transition metals:

Iron:

Iron is usually made into steel, which is stronger and more easily shaped than iron. Steel is
widely used as a structural material, for example to make bridges, buildings, ships and cars. Iron
is use as a catalyst in manufacture of ammonia.

Vanadium: Vanadium(V) Oxide is used as a catalyst in preparation of sulphuric acid.

Copper:

Copper is a very good conductor of electricity, so it is used for electricity cables. It is easily bent
into shape and it does not react with water, so it is used for water pipes.

Silver:

Silver does not corrode in air or water, and it is a very good conductor of electricity. It is used for
jewellery, printed circuit boards and electrical contacts.

Gold:

Gold does not corrode in air or water, It is used for jewellery

Titanium: titanium is use in fighter aircraft, artificial hip joints, pipes in nuclear power stations.

Nickel: coins, catalyst in manufacture of margarine

The noble gases:

The elements in group 0 are called the noble gases. They belong to the right-hand column in the
periodic table. The noble gases are all chemically unreactive which means they are inert. The
members of this group are He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe and Rn.

Common properties

The noble gases have the following properties in common:

They are non-metals
They are very uncreative gases
They are colorless
They exist as single atoms (they are monatomic)

Uses:
Helium: Used in balloons and airships. It is much less dense than air, so balloons filled with it
float upwards
Neon: Used in advertising signs. It glows when electricity is passed through it, and different
coloured 'neon lights' can be made by coating the inside of the glass tubing with other chemicals.
Argon: Used in light bulbs. The very thin metal filament inside the bulb would react with
oxygen and burn away if the bulb were filled with air instead of argon.
As argon is unreactive, it stops the filament burning away.
Krypton: Used in lasers. Krypton lasers are used by surgeons to treat certain eye problems and
to remove birthmarks.

Xenon:
Xenon is used in fluorescent bulbs, flash bulbs and lasers. Xenon emits an instant, intense light
when present in discharge tubes. This property of xenon is utilized in high-speed electronic flash
bulbs used by photographers.

Radon:
Radon is radioactive and is used in medicine as a source of gamma rays. The gas is sealed in
small capsules, which are implanted in the body to destroy malignant (e.g., cancerous) growths.