Renewing our understanding of the periodic table

Use ptable.com to answer the following questions.

1. Where do you find the metals on the periodic table?

The metals on the periodic table can be found starting on the left side. The first twelve
groups/families are all metals (not including hydrogen). The alkali metals, alkaline earth metals,
lanthanoids, actiniods, transition metals, and post-transition metals are all considered metals in
the periodic table. Aluminum, gallium, indium, tin, thallium, lead, bismuth, and polonium are also
metals, located next to the metalloids.

2. Where do you find the non-metals on the periodic table?

The noble gases, which make up the 18th group, are non-metals. Then there is a strange
dividing line between the nonmetals and metalloids. Carbon, phosphorus, selenium, iodine, and
every element to the right of them in their respective periods are non-metals. Hydrogen is also a
non-metal.

3. What is between the metals on non-metals?

The metalloids are in between the metals and the non-metals. They consist of boron, silicon,
geranium, arsenic, antimony, tellurium, and astatine.

4. What do the elements in group (column) 1 have in common?

The elements in group one are called alkali metals, excluding hydrogen. All of them have one
electron in their outer shell. Their radii are quite large in comparison to the other elements in
their periods. They are soft, shiny metals that are highly reactive.

5. What do the elements in group (column) 2 have in common?

The elements in group two are called alkaline earth metals. They have two valence electrons in
their outer shell, and all have similar properties to one another. They are shiny, silvery-white,
and somewhat reactive at standard temperature.

6. What do the elements in group (column) 17 have in common?

All elements in the 17th group are called halogens. When these elements react with metals,
they produce salt. They all have seven valence electrons, making them more stable. This also
means they are less reactive.

7. What do the elements in group (column) 18 have in common?

All the elements in group 18 are called the noble gases. They are all odorless, colourless, and
are the least reactive elements overall. They are very stable because their outer valence shell
has eight valence electrons in it.

8. What happens as you go down every period on the periodic table?

As you go down every period in the periodic table, the atomic mass grows with every new
element. This is expected.

9. There is a temperature slider at the top of the table.

i) What is the lowest temperature you can make on the periodic table? Why? You may have to
look this up.
273.15 degrees celsius is called absolute zero, and is the lowest temperature possible. This is
because it is so cold at this temperature that the particles actually stop moving. However, it
goes against particle theory that particles can stop vibrating, so absolute zero can never be
reached. We can get as close as possible to it though.

ii) What happens to the elements at the coldest temperature? Why?

All non-synthetic elements turn solid at the coldest temperature. This is because, the colder
something gets, the slower particles move, which means they come closer together. For
example, particles in water have enough space in between them to flow, but when cold
temperature is applied, the particles move less and bounce off each other less, which means
they get closer together, and don't have the space to flow past each other anymore, so they
become fixed.

iii) What is the highest temperature you can make on the periodic table?
The highest temperature you can make on the periodic table is 5727 degrees celsius.

iv) What happens to the elements at the highest temperature?

Elements 1-96 all turn to gas, and the rest of the elements have unknown results when 5727
degrees celsius is applied.

10. Discuss two other things you have learned from the periodic table from exploring ptable?
a) Before elements reach the high temperatures that turn them to gas, most of the
elements turn to liquid first. This means that all liquid will eventually turn to gas with
enough heat.
b) In 1985, it was realized that a lot of noble gases were missing from the periodic table.
This makes sense, because noble gases are odorless and colourless, meaning it is very
difficult to find them and identify them. I found this quite interesting.