CC4a.

1 Sorting elements
Your task is to work out a way to sort the elements into an order.
1 Cut out the cards on this sheet.
2 Arrange the cards in an order of your choice – but make sure you have good reasons for how you do this.
3 Compare your method of sorting with the method chosen by another student or group of students.

Br Sr K
relative atomic mass = 80 relative atomic mass = 88 relative atomic mass = 39
non-metal metal metal
liquid solid solid
red-brown sinks in water floats on water

Li F Mg
relative atomic mass = 7 relative atomic mass = 19 relative atomic mass = 24
metal non-metal metal
solid gas solid
floats on water pale yellow sinks in water

Na Ca Cl
relative atomic mass = 23 relative atomic mass = 40 relative atomic mass = 35.5
metal metal non-metal
solid solid gas
floats on water sinks in water yellow-green

I
relative atomic mass = 127
non-metal
solid
purple-black

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 CC4a.2 Making predictions

Name Class Date

Your task is to make predictions about the properties of three elements.

1 Write the name of each element under its symbol. The names in the middle column are already shown.
2 Predict the properties of the middle element in each column. For a property with a value, do this by
calculating the mean of its values for the top and bottom elements. Write these predictions into the tables.

Li Si Cl
silicon
Ar = 7 Ar = 28 Ar = 35.5
metal non-metal non-metal
density = 0.53 g/cm3 density = 2.3 g/cm3 density = 0.003 g/cm3
melting point = 180 °C melting point = 1414 °C melting point = –101 °C
boiling point = 1342 °C boiling point = 3265 °C boiling point = –29 °C
reacts quickly with water density of oxide = 2.63 g/cm3 pale yellow-green gas

Na Ge Br
germanium
Ar = Ar = Ar =

density = g/cm3 density = g/cm3 density = g/cm3

melting point = °C melting point = °C melting point = °C
boiling point = °C boiling point = °C boiling point = °C
density of oxide = g/cm3

K Sn I
tin
Ar = 39 Ar = 119 Ar = 127
metal metal non-metal
density = 0.89 g/cm3 density = 7.4 g/cm3 density = 4.9 g/cm3
melting point = 63 °C melting point = 232 °C melting point = 114 °C
boiling point = 759 °C boiling point = 2602 °C boiling point = 184 °C
reacts violently with water density of oxide = 6.95 g/cm3 purple-black solid

3 Find these nine elements in a modern periodic table. Describe what you notice.

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 Mendeleev’s 1871 table
CC4a.3 Strengthen

Name Class Date

1 The table below shows part of Mendeleev’s 1871 periodic table, with modern relative atomic masses.

Li = 7 Be = 9 B = 11 C = 12 N = 14 O = 16 F = 19
Na = 23 Mg = 24 Al = 27 Si = 28 P = 31 S = 32 Cl = 35.5
K = 39 Ca = 40 ? = 45 Ti = 48 V = 51 Cr = 52 Mn = 55
(Cu = 63.5) Zn = 65 ? =70 ? = 73 As = 75 Se = 79 Br = 80
Rb = 85 Sr = 88 Y = 89 Zr = 91 Nb = 93 Mo = 96 ? = 98
(Ag = 108) Cd = 112 In = 115 Sn = 119 Sb = 122 Te = 128 I = 127

a The relative atomic mass of lithium is 7. What is the relative atomic mass of fluorine?

b How do the relative atomic masses change as you move from left to right along a row in this table?

c Thinking of your answer to part b, what was unusual about the positions of iodine and tellurium?

d Explain why Mendeleev left gaps in his table (shown here by question marks, not chemical symbols).

S1 What were the key features of Mendeleev's periodic table?

2 Some elements can form compounds with hydrogen. For example, chlorine forms hydrogen chloride, HCl,
and bromine forms hydrogen bromide, HBr. Tellurium forms hydrogen telluride, H 2Te.
a In Mendeleev’s periodic table, elements in a vertical column have similar chemical properties and
form similar compounds with other elements. Hydrogen iodide has the chemical formula HI.
Give one reason why Mendeleev placed iodine in the same column as chlorine and bromine.

b Give the formula of hydrogen oxide and justify why it has this formula.

c Suggest why Mendeleev thought that the relative atomic mass of tellurium should be 125 and not 128.

d Mendeleev predicted the existence of eka-manganese, relative atomic mass = 98. This element was
discovered in 1937 and named technetium. Why did this later discovery support Mendeleev’s ideas?

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 Mendeleev’s tables
CC4a.4 Homework 1

Name Class Date

1 Each element is represented by its own chemical symbol. The noble gases (helium, neon, argon, krypton,
xenon) had not been discovered when Mendeleev produced his tables in 1869 and 1871.
a Write down the chemical symbols for these elements.

b What do these chemical symbols have in common?

c Radon, Rn, is another noble gas. It was discovered after the discovery of radium, a radioactive metal.
Suggest why the chemical symbol for radon does not fit the pattern described in part b.

2 Dmitri Mendeleev produced a periodic table in 1871. Part of this table is shown below.

Li 7 Be 9.4 B 11 C 12 N 14 O 16 F 19
Na 23 Mg 24 Al 27.3 Si 28 P 31 S 32 Cl 35.5
K 39 Ca 40 Eb? 44 Ti 48 V 51 Cr 52 Mn 55

a What do the numbers shown here represent?

b What do the elements in each column have in common?

c Mendeleev predicted the existence of an element between calcium, Ca, and titanium, Ti. He called this
undiscovered element eka-boron, Eb. Suggest why he predicted a number of 44 for this element.

3 Mendeleev predicted the existence of eka-silicon, which he thought should fit between silicon and tin.

Element Density of element Density of its chloride Boiling point of its

(g/cm3) (g/cm3) chloride (°C)
silicon 2.3 1.48 58
eka-silicon (prediction)
tin 7.4 2.22 114

a For each of the three properties in the table above, calculate the mean of the values for silicon and tin.
Write your answers in the table as predictions for eka-silicon.
b The table below shows some properties of germanium, discovered in 1886 by Clemens Winkler.

Element Density of element Density of its chloride Boiling point of its

(g/cm3) (g/cm3) chloride (°C)
germanium 5.3 1.88 86

Germanium was Mendeleev’s predicted eka-silicon. Why did its discovery support Mendeleev’s ideas?

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 Mendeleev’s periodic tables
CC4a.5 Homework 2
1 Part of Dmitri Mendeleev’s 1871 table is shown below. Use it to help you answer the questions.

Li 7 Be 9.4 B 11 C 12 N 14 O 16 F 19
Na 23 Mg 24 Al 27.3 Si 28 P 31 S 32 Cl 35.5
K 39 Ca 40 ? 44 Ti 48 V 51 Cr 52 Mn 55

a Name the elements in the middle row.

b What property did Mendeleev use to order the elements in his tables?
c How are the elements arranged in the rows of Mendeleev’s 1871 table?
d What do the elements in each column have in common?
e Explain why Mendeleev showed an element with a question mark in the bottom row.
2 The existence of eka-silicon, Es, was predicted by Mendeleev in 1871. He thought it should fit between
silicon and tin. Germanium, Ge, was discovered in 1886 by Clemens Winkler. It was identified as
Mendeleev’s predicted element. Some properties of these elements and their compounds are shown below.

Element Relative Density (g/cm3) Density of its Boiling point of

atomic mass chloride (g/cm3) its chloride (°C)
silicon 28 2.3 1.48 58
eka-silicon 72 5.5 1.9 100
germanium 73 5.3 1.88 86
tin 118 7.4 2.22 114

a Calculate a mean value for each property using the values for silicon and tin.
b Compare your answers to part a to Mendeleev’s predictions. How close were they to the mean
values?
c Describe how close Mendeleev’s predictions for eka-silicon were to the actual properties of germanium.
d When germanium was first discovered, Winkler thought it was eka-stibnium, a different predicted
element. Mendeleev thought it could be yet another predicted element, eka-cadmium. After Winkler
purified more of the new element, he was able to provide more accurate values for its properties and its
identity was confirmed. Describe the importance of accurate values in supporting Mendeleev’s table.

Extra challenge
The table below shows some properties of some group 7 elements.

Element Relative atomic mass Melting point (°C) Boiling point (°C)
fluorine 19 –220 –188
chlorine 35.5
bromine 80 –7 59
iodine 127 114 184

3 a Plot a graph to show the change in melting points and boiling points as you go down group 7:
● the horizontal axis is the relative atomic mass (in the range 0 to 130)
● the vertical axis is the temperature in °C (in the range –240 °C to 200 °C)
● plot the melting points and boiling points on the same axes
● draw two labelled lines of best fit.
b Use your graph to estimate the melting point and boiling point of chlorine.
c Use the table and your graph to identify the state of each element at 20 °C.

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 CC4a Progression Check
Name Class Date
Progression questions
Answer these questions.
1 What are the symbols of some common elements?

2 How did Mendeleev arrange elements into a periodic table?

3 How did Mendeleev use his table to predict the properties of undiscovered elements?

Now circle the faces in the ‘Start’ row in the table showing how confident you are of your answers.

Question 1 2 3

Start

Assessment
Using a different colour, correct or add to your answers above. You may need to use the back of this sheet or
another piece of paper. Then circle the faces in the ‘Check’ row in the table.

Question 1 2 3

Check

Feedback
What will you do next? Tick one box.

 strengthen my learning  strengthen then extend  extend

Note down any specific areas you need to improve.

Action
You may now be given another activity. After this, note down any remaining areas you need to improve and
how you will try to improve in these areas.

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 Properties of metals
CC4b.1 and non-metals
Your teacher may watch to see if you can…
● use apparatus safely.

Aim
To investigate some physical properties of metal and non-metal elements in the solid state.

Method
Apparatus
Safety
● eye protection
● battery, bulb, wires with crocodile clips Wear eye protection.
● small hammer Tap the substances gently when testing
● heat-resistant mat or wooden board them for their malleability.
● paper towels
● 50 cm3 measuring cylinder
● ±0.1 g balance
● substances to test: aluminium, copper, sulfur, carbon (graphite and charcoal)
A Record the appearance of each test substance, including whether it is shiny or dull, and its colour.
B Connect the battery, bulb and wires in series with one of the test substances. Observe and record whether
the bulb lights. Repeat this test with the other substances.

C Measure and record the mass of one of the test substances. Add 25 cm3 of water to the measuring
cylinder, gently drop the substance into the water and record the new volume. Repeat this test with the
other substances. (If any of them float, use a pencil point to push them down to the water level.)
D Place a small piece of one of the test substances on the mat or board, and gently tap it with a hammer.
Record your observations. Repeat this test with the other substances.

Recording your results

Make a table with columns for name of substance, appearance, whether the bulb lights, volume of substance,
mass of substance, and what happens when the substance is tapped with a hammer.

Considering your results

1 Calculate the volume of each piece of substance: volume = (end volume of water) – (start volume of water).
mass
2 Use your answers to question 1 to calculate the density of each substance: density =
volume
3 Which substances were shiny, which were able to conduct electricity, and which were malleable rather than
brittle (they did not break when tapped with the hammer)?

Evaluation
4 Locate the metals (aluminium and copper) and non-metals (sulfur and carbon) on a modern periodic table.
a What properties do the metals have in common?
b What properties do the non-metals have in common?
c What is unusual about graphite?

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 CC4b.2 Periodic table puzzle
Your task is to correctly fill the 3 × 3 grid with these words and phrases:

number of protons iodine period chlorine bromine

relative atomic mass atomic number group tellurium

The cards below contain all the information you need to correctly fill the grid.

The corner next to the name for a

One of the columns has elements
column in the modern periodic A liquid non-metal element is
from group 7 as they appear in
table shows the name for a row in placed in the middle row.
the modern periodic table.
the modern periodic table.

The centre box contains the One of the rows has two elements One of the rows contains two
modern definition of atomic as they appear in a period in the elements in the order shown in
number. modern periodic table. Mendeleev’s 1871 periodic table.

A property with different

One of the corners shows the
property Mendeleev used to
order the elements.
A toxic gas is next to the word
meanings in Mendeleev’s time
for elements that have similar
and today is diagonally next to a
chemical properties.
solid non-metal.

Name Class Date

Periodic table puzzle

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 Arranging elements
CC4b.3 Strengthen

Name Class Date

1 Add the following to the table below.

a group numbers across the top.
b period numbers down the left-hand side
c the atomic numbers of the first 20 elements (hydrogen to calcium)
d the dividing line between metals and non-metals
e light shading for the non-metals.

2 Henry Moseley’s work showed that the atomic number of an element was not just its position on the
periodic table. Give the modern definition for ̔atomic number’.

3 State the property used to order the elements in the modern periodic table.

S1 How are the elements arranged in the modern periodic table?

Use the modern periodic table to help you answer the following questions.
4 Mendeleev arranged the elements in order of increasing relative atomic mass. He swapped iodine and
tellurium to place them in their correct groups, but he could not explain why breaking his order was correct.
a State the relative atomic masses of iodine and tellurium.

b State the atomic numbers of iodine and tellurium.

c Use your answers to explain why Mendeleev had been right to swap the positions of these elements.

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 Atomic number and the
CC4b.4 periodic table – Homework 1

Name Class Date

1 a Explain the main features of the modern periodic table using the diagram below.
In each box, write a brief description of the feature it points to.
b Draw a line to show the boundary between metals and non-metals.

2 Dmitri Mendeleev arranged the elements in order of increasing relative atomic mass.
a Explain why, according to this order, he should have placed tellurium (Te) and iodine (I) the other way
around.

b Explain why tellurium is placed before iodine in the modern periodic table.

c Atoms may have the same atomic number but different mass numbers. What are such atoms called?

3 a Give the modern meaning of the term ‘atomic number’.

b Explain, in terms of their properties, why helium and neon are placed in the same group.

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 The periodic table and atomic
CC4b.5 number – Homework 2
1 The atomic number of an element has been used for around 150 years to place it in a periodic table.
a Explain the meaning of atomic number according to Dmitri Mendeleev.
b Give the definition of atomic number in terms of subatomic particles.
Refer to the modern periodic table in the following questions.
2 a Give the order in which the elements are arranged in the periodic table.
b Give the names used to identify rows and columns in the periodic table.
c Describe the arrangement of elements in a period.
d Explain why elements are placed in a particular group.
e In general, where are the metals placed in the periodic table?
3 One of the pair reversals in the periodic table occurs between cobalt and nickel. The table gives some
information about these two metals.

Element Atomic Relative atomic mass

number to 1 decimal place
cobalt 27 58.9
nickel 28 58.7

a Explain why Mendeleev should have placed nickel before cobalt using his chosen property for ordering
the elements.
b Mendeleev actually placed cobalt before nickel. Suggest why he did this.
c Cobalt is placed before nickel in the modern periodic table. Explain why this is so.
d Explain why the positions of cobalt and nickel do not appear to be reversed in periodic tables where the
relative atomic masses are rounded to a whole number.
4 Argon, potassium and calcium each occur naturally as almost entirely one isotope. This means that the
values of their relative atomic masses are equal to the total number of protons and neutrons in their atoms.

Element Number of protons Number of neutrons

argon 18 22
potassium 19 20
calcium 20 20

a Explain why argon is placed before potassium, even though its atoms have more neutrons.
b Explain why calcium is placed after potassium, even though they have the same number of neutrons.
Extra challenge
5 Iodine only has one naturally occurring isotope, 127I, giving it a relative atomic mass of 127. Tellurium has
several naturally occurring isotopes. The table below shows the relative abundances of its isotopes.

Isotope 122Te 124Te 125Te 126Te 128Te 130Te

Relative abundance 0.03 0.05 0.07 0.19 0.32 0.34

a Calculate the relative atomic mass of tellurium using these steps:

● For each isotope, multiply its mass number by its relative abundance. For example, for the first
isotope this is: 122 × 0.03 = 3.66
● Add together all your answers to the first step, and give your final answer to 1 decimal place.
b Explain why the relative atomic mass of tellurium is 128, rounded to a whole number.
c Explain, in terms of isotopes, why ordering the elements by relative atomic mass does not always give
the same result as ordering the elements by atomic number. Mention iodine and tellurium in your
answer.

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 CC4b Progression Check
Name Class Date
Progression questions
Answer these questions.
1 Why was Mendeleev right to alter the order of some elements in his table?

2 What is an element’s atomic number?

3 How are the elements arranged in the modern periodic table?

Now circle the faces in the ‘Start’ row in the table showing how confident you are of your answers.

Question 1 2 3

Start

Assessment
Using a different colour, correct or add to your answers above. You may need to use the back of this sheet or
another piece of paper. Then circle the faces in the ‘Check’ row in the table.

Question 1 2 3

Check

Feedback
What will you do next? Tick one box.

 strengthen my learning  strengthen then extend  extend

Note down any specific areas you need to improve.

Action
You may now be given another activity. After this, note down any remaining areas you need to improve and
how you will try to improve in these areas.

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 Twenty electronic
CC4c.1 configurations

Name Class Date

1 The atomic number of hydrogen is 1, so its atoms each have one proton (and so one
electron). This means that the electronic configuration of hydrogen is 1 and the
electron can be drawn as a dot or cross on the circle representing a shell.
On the diagram on the right:
a write the electronic configuration in the blank space after ‘structure =’
b add the electron on the dashed circle as a cross.

2 The diagram below contains incomplete information about 19 other elements.

The written electronic configuration for lithium is given (atomic number, Z = 3, structure = 2.1).
Work out the electronic configurations for the other 18 elements, and write down their structures.

3 The electronic configuration diagram for lithium has been done for you. Each electron is shown as a cross.
Use your answers to question 2 to help you to draw the electron configurations of the other 18 elements.

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 Working out electronic
CC4c.2 configurations – Strengthen

Name Class Date

1 What name is used to describe the arrangement of electrons around the nucleus of an atom?

2 Complete this table to show the number of electrons in each atom.

Element Li O Al Ar
Atomic number 3 8 13 18
Number of electrons

3 The atomic number of nitrogen is 7, so nitrogen atoms contain 7 protons (and so 7 electrons). The
electronic configuration of nitrogen is 2.5 (two electrons in the first shell and five in the outer shell).
Use your answers to question 2 to help you complete this table.

Element Li O Al Ar
Electronic configuration

4 The diagram on the right shows the electronic configuration of nitrogen.

Use your answers to question 3 to draw the electronic configurations of lithium and
aluminium in the space below.
Show each electron as a cross. The correct number of shells have already been
drawn for you.

5 In the space below, draw the electronic configurations of oxygen and argon.

S1 How do you work out the electronic configuration of an element?

6 Describe the link between the group number and the number of electrons in the outer shell, and the period
number and the number of occupied shells. You may need to use a periodic table to help you.

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 Electronic configurations
CC4c.3 Homework 1

Name Class Date

Use this short form periodic table to help you answer the questions. It shows symbols and atomic numbers.

group numbers
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0

H
1 1 He
2
period numbers

Li Be B C N O F Ne
2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Na Mg Al Si P S Cl Ar
3
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
K Ca
4
19 20

1 State what is meant by the term ‘electronic configuration’.

2 Write the electronic configurations for the following elements:

a helium

b carbon

c oxygen

d chlorine

e calcium
sulfur
3 In the box on the right, draw the electronic configuration for sulfur.
4 The table below shows the electronic configurations for three different elements.

Element lithium sodium potassium

Electronic configuration 2.1 2.8.1 2.8.8.1

In terms of their electronic configurations, explain which group these elements belong to.

5 The table below shows the electronic configurations for four different elements.

Element lithium beryllium nitrogen neon

Electronic configuration 2.1 2.2 2.5 2.8

In terms of their electronic configurations, explain which period these elements belong to.

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 Configurations and the
CC4c.4 periodic table – Homework 2
Use this short form periodic table to help you answer the questions. It shows symbols and atomic numbers.

group numbers
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0

H
1 1 He
2
period numbers

Li Be B C N O F Ne
2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Na Mg Al Si P S Cl Ar
3
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
K Ca
4
19 20

1 State what is meant by the term ‘electronic configuration’.

2 Write the electronic configurations for helium, carbon, oxygen, chlorine and calcium.
3 Draw the electronic configurations for nitrogen and argon.
4 The electronic configuration of an element is related to its position in the periodic table.
a Explain how the group in which an element is placed is related to its electronic configuration. In your
answer, refer to the elements in groups 1 and 0.
b Explain how the period in which an element is placed is related to its electronic configuration. In your
answer, refer to the elements in period 2.
5 After calcium, the third shell can contain up to 18 electrons. An element, which we will call X, is placed
after calcium in the periodic table. Element X has the electronic configuration 2.8.18.7.
Use your knowledge and understanding of atomic structure, and the relationship between the electronic
configuration of an element and its position in the periodic table, to answer the following questions.
a Explain which group element X is placed in.
b Explain which period element X is placed in.
c Calculate the atomic number of element X, showing clearly how you obtained your answer.
d Atoms of element X exist as two naturally occurring isotopes. One has 44 neutrons in its nucleus and
the other has 46 neutrons in its nucleus.
Write the full chemical symbols for these two isotopes.

Extra challenge
6 In reactions, metal atoms can lose electrons and non-metal atoms can gain electrons. When this happens,
charged particles called ‘ions’ form. Enough electrons are lost or gained so that the ion has the same
electronic configuration as the nearest element in group 0.
For example:
● Sodium atoms (2.8.1) lose one electron to become sodium ions (2.8) – the same electronic
configuration as neon in group 0.
● Sulfur atoms (2.8.6) gain two electrons to become sulfide ions (2.8.8) – the same electronic
configuration as argon in group 0.
a Work out how many electrons each atom in period 2 (Li to F) must lose or gain to obtain the same
electronic configuration as the nearest group 0 element.
b Describe how carbon and other elements in group 4 are unusual in the way they can form ions.

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 CC4c Progression Check
Name Class Date
Progression questions
Answer these questions.
1 What information does an electronic configuration give?

2 How do you work out and show the electronic configuration of an element?

3 How is the electronic configuration of an element related to its position in the periodic table?

Now circle the faces in the ‘Start’ row in the table showing how confident you are of your answers.

Question 1 2 3

Start

Assessment
Using a different colour, correct or add to your answers above. You may need to use the back of this sheet or
another piece of paper. Then circle the faces in the ‘Check’ row in the table.

Question 1 2 3

Check

Feedback
What will you do next? Tick one box.

 strengthen my learning  strengthen then extend  extend

Note down any specific areas you need to improve.

Action
You may now be given another activity. After this, note down any remaining areas you need to improve and
how you will try to improve in these areas.

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 CC4 Word Sheet

CC4a Elements and the periodic table

Word Pronunciation Meaning
chemical property kem-ik-al How a substance reacts with other substances.
periodic table An ordered list of all known elements.
physical property fi-zi-kal A description of how a material behaves and responds
to forces and energy. Hardness is a physical property.
prediction pred-ik-shun What you think will happen in an experiment and why
you think this.
relative atomic The mean mass of an atom relative to the mass of
mass, Ar one-twelfth of an atom of carbon-12, which is
assigned a mass of 12. The Ar of an element is the
mean relative mass of the isotopes in the element.

CC4b Atomic number and the periodic table

Word Pronunciation Meaning
atomic number The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom
(symbol Z). Also known as the proton number.
group A vertical column of elements in the periodic table.
Elements in the same group generally have similar
properties.
inert Does not react.
period A horizontal row in the periodic table.
relative atomic mass The mean mass of an atom compared to 1/12th the
mass of an atom of carbon-12. (One atom of carbon-
12 has been assigned a mass of 12.)
X-ray Electromagnetic radiation that has a shorter
wavelength than UV but longer than gamma rays.

CC4c Electronic configurations and the periodic table

Word Pronunciation Meaning
electron Tiny particle with a negative charge that is found in
shells around the nucleus of an atom.
electron shell Areas around a nucleus that can be occupied by
electrons, usually drawn as circles. Also called an
electron energy level.
electronic The arrangement of electrons in shells around the
configuration nucleus of an atom.

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