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Chapter 4 Periodic Table of Elements

4.1 Periodic Table of Elements

1. About 112 different elements have been discovered on our earth.

2. Systematic classification of the elements in the Periodic Table is done by arranging the elements in an
ascending order of their proton numbers and grouping the elements with similar properties together.
3. Advantages of the Periodic Table are as follows.
(a) It enables chemists to learn and understand physical properties and chemical properties of the
elements and compounds more systematically, orderly and easily.
(b) easier predict the properties of an element and its compounds based on its position in the
Periodic Table.
(c) easier to study and understand the relationship among the elements from different groups.

Historical development of the Periodic Table

Contribution by Antoine Lavoisier (1743-1794)

1. Antoine Lavoisier, a French chemist, was the first person to classify elements into groups.
2. In the year 1789, the known elements at that time were classified into four groups as shown in Table 1.
3. In his table, elements were classified into metals and non-metals.

Table 1 Classification of the elements by Lavoisier

Group I Group 2 Group 3 Group 4
Oxygen Sulphur Arsenic Lime
Nitrogen Phosphorus Bismuth Silica
Hydrogen Carbon Cobalt Alumina
Light Chlorine Lead Barita
Heat Fluorine Zinc Magnesia
Nickel
Tin
Silver

4. Classification by Lavoisier was unsuccessful because his table consisted of many wrong information.
For example, light, heat and a few compounds which were unable to be decomposed at that time
such as lime, silica, alumina, barita and magnesia were considered as elements.

Contribution by Johann W. Dobereiner (1780-1849)

1. In the year 1829, Johann W. Dobereiner, a German chemist, divided the elements into groups. Each group
consisted of three elements with similar chemical properties. He named each of these groups as triad.
2. In each triad, the relative atomic mass of the middle element was approximately the average relative atomic
mass of the other two elements. Two examples of triads are shown in Table 2.
Table 2

3. Classification of the elements into triads by Dobereiner was unsuccessful because this classification was
limited to a few elements only.
4. However, this Triad Law had awakened other chemists to realise that there was a relationship between
the chemical properties and the atomic mass of the elements.
Chapter 4 Periodic Table of Elements
4.1 Periodic Table of Elements

Contribution by John Newlands (1837-1898)

1. In the year 1863, John Newlands, a British chemist, arranged all the known elements according to the
ascending order of their atomic masses.
2. Table 3 shows part of the arrangement of the elements suggested by Newlands.

Table 3 Arrangement of the elements by Newlands

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
H Li Be B C N 0
F Na Mg Al Si P S
Cl K Ca Cr Ti Mn Fe
Co, Ni Cu Zn Y In As Se
Br Rb Sr Ce, la Zr Di, Mo Ro, Ru
Pd Ag Cd U Sn Sb Te

3. He found that the same properties were repeated at every eighth element in his arrangement. This pattern
was similar to the octave notes in music. This arrangement of elements was known as the Law of Octaves.

4. Contribution by Newlands failed because his Law of Octaves was obeyed by the first 17 elements only.
5. His contribution is important because he is the first chemist to show the existence of a periodic pattern for
the properties of elements.

Contribution by Lothar Meyer (1830-1895)

1. In the year 1870, Lothar Meyer, a German chemist, plotted a graph of the atomic volume against the atomic
mass for all the known elements as shown in Figure 1. (The atomic volume of an element is the volume of
one mole atom of that element).
Figure 1

2. He realised that elements with similar chemical properties occupied the same relative positions
on the atomic volume curve.
For example:
Li, Na, K, Rb and Cs (alkali metals) located at the maximum points of the curve have similar chemical
properties.
F, Cl, Br, and I (halogens) located at the slopes of the curve also have similar chemical properties.
3. Meyer was successful in showing that the properties of the elements were in a periodic pattern with their
atomic masses.

Contribution by Dmitri Mendeleev (1839-1907)

1. Dmitri Mendeleev, a Russian chemistry professor, had shown that the properties of elements changed
periodically with their atomic masses.
Chapter 4 Periodic Table of Elements
4.1 Periodic Table of Elements
Contribution by Dmitri Mendeleev (1839-1907)
2. In the year 1869, he arranged the elements in the same way as Newlands but made a few changes as
below.
(a) Elements with similar chemical properties were placed in the same column called a group.
(b) Empty spaces were left in the Periodic Table for those undiscovered elements at that time.
(c) He made use of the positions of elements in the Periodic Table to predict the properties of undiscovered
elements at that time. Table 4 shows the comparison of the properties of 'Ekasilicon' as predicted by
Mendeleev with the properties of germanium that was discovered in the year 1886.
Table 4 : Prediction of properties of germanium by Mendeleev
Property Ekasilicon(Es) Germanium(Ge)
Atomic mass 72 72.6
Colour of metal Grey Grey
Density 5.5gcm3 5.47gcm3
Formula of oxide EsO2 GeO

(d) He mutually changed the positions of two pairs of elements, that are nickel (atomic mass = 58.7)
with cobalt (atomic mass= 58.9) and iodine (atomic mass=126.9) with tellurium (atomic mass=127.6)
so that the elements with similar chemical properties were placed under the same group.
(e) He arranged certain elements such as manganese, iron, cobalt and nickel in separate groups. These
groups of elements were known as transition elements.
3. His Periodic Table was used as the basis for the formation of the Periodic Table today.

Contribution by H.J.G. Moseley (1887-1915)

1. In the year 1914, H.J.G. Moseley, a British physicist, investigated the X-ray spectrum 'of elements.
2. He plotted a graph of the square root of the frequency of X-ray from the elements against their proton
numbers. A straight line was obtained.
3. He concluded that the proton numbers should be used as a basis for the periodic changes in the
chemical properties of elements.
4. Therefore, Moseley arranged the elements in increasing order of their proton numbers. He produced a
Periodic Table similar to Mendeleev's Periodic Table.
5. In Moseley's Periodic Table, he confirmed that tellurium (Te) must be placed before iodine (I) and
cobalt (Co) must be placed before nickel (Ni) as predicted by Mendeleev.
6. Hence, Moseley was successful in developing the Periodic Table based on the arrangement of elements
in ascending order of their proton numbers.
Arrangement of elements in the Periodic Table

1. Elements are arranged horizontally in ascending order of their proton numbers in the Periodic Table.
2. Each vertical column of elements in the Periodic Table is known as a group.
3. Elements with the same number of valence electrons are arranged in the same group.
4. There are 18 vertical columns of elements in the Periodic Table, known as Group 1, Group 2, Group 3
until Group 18.
5. Group 1 elements are known as alkali metals. Group 2 elements are known as alkali earth metals.
Group 3 to Group 12 elements are known as transition elements. Group 17 elements are known as
halogens. Group 18 elements are known as noble gases.
6. Each horizontal row of elements in the Periodic Table is known as a period.
7. There are 7 horizontal rows of elements in the Periodic Table, known as Period 1, Period 2, Period 3
until Period 7.
8. Period 1 contains 2 elements. Periods 2 and 3 contain 8 elements respectively. Periods 4 and 5 contain
18 elements each. Period 6 contains 32 elements. Period 7 contains 23 elements.
9. Periods 1 to 3 are short periods while Periods 4 to 7 are long periods.
10. Although Period 6 contains 32 elements, elements with proton numbers 58 to 71 are listed separately
at the bottom of the Periodic Table. This series of elements is known as lantanides.
Chapter 4 Periodic Table of Elements
4.1 Periodic Table of Elements
Arrangement of elements in the Periodic Table
11. Similarly, elements with proton numbers 90 to 103 in Period 7 are listed separately at the bottom of the
Periodic Table. This series of elements is known as actinides.
12. Elements in Groups 1, 2 and 13 are metals.
13. Transition elements in Groups 3 to 12 are also metals.
14. Non-metals usually have 5, 6 or 7 valence electrons. They are placed in Groups 15, 16 and 17 respectively
in the Periodic Table. Carbon and silicon from Group 14 are also non-metals.

Relationship between the electron arrangement and the position of the element in the Periodic Table
1. Based on Modern Periodic Table, we can deduce that the number of valence electrons in an atom of an
element determines the position of the group of that elements in the Periodic Table.
2. You must remember that
(a) for elements with 1 or 2 valence electrons, the group number of that element is equal to the number
of valence electrons.
For example : Na (2.8.1) = Group 1 ; Mg (2.8.2) = Group 2
(b) for elements with 3 to 8 valence electrons, the group number of that element is equal to the number
of valence electrons plus 10.
For example : Al (2.8.3) = Group 13 ; O (2.6) = Group 16 ; Cl(2.8.7) = Group 17
3. The number of shells occupied with electrons in an atom determines the position of the period of that
element in the Periodic Table.
4. Hence, the position of the period of an element is equal to the number of shells occupied with electrons
in the atom of that element.
Check : An atom of element T has 16 neutrons and a nucleon number of 31. In which period is element T
located in the Periodic Table?
5. Elements with the same number of valence electrons will exhibit similar chemical properties.
For example:
Atom X with an electron arrangement of 2.8.2 and atom Y with an electron arrangement of 2.8.8.2
exhibit similar chemical properties because both atoms have 2 valence electrons.
Exercise
1. Meyer and Mendeleev were involved in the development of the Periodic Table.
(a) Describe the contribution by Meyer.
(b) How did Mendeleev arrange the elements in his Periodic Table?
(c) How are the elements arranged in the Periodic Table that we use today?
2. Table below shows the proton numbers, nucleon numbers & electron arrangements of atoms G. H, J and L.
Atom Proton number Nucleon number Electron arrangement
G 5 11
H ? 27
J 19 39
L ? 127 2.8.18.18.7
(a) In which group and period are elements J and L located in the Periodic Table?
(b) Element H is placed in Period 3 and Group 13.
(i) State the electron arrangement and proton number of atom H.
(ii) How many neutrons are there in an atom H?
(iii) Which element has similar chemical properties as element H?
3. Table below shows the nucleon numbers and numbers of neutrons of atoms T, U and W.
Atom T U W
Nucleon number 31 35 40
Numher of neutrons 16 18
(a) How many valence electrons are there in atom P
(b) In which group and period is element U located in the Periodic Table?
(c) Atom W forms ion W'.
(i) Suggest the electron arrangement for atom W.
(ii) In which period is element W located in the Periodic Table?