Classification of

Elements
By Dipesh Adhikari
 26 October

introduction
So at the past only few elements were discovered. After knowing dew elements scientist decide to classified them to
make the study of these elements easy.

Lavoisier made the first attempt to classify them on the basis of properties of element. But this classification was
unbalanced because there were many metals and few non metals and some were metalloids.

The process of dividing known elements in different groups on the basis of their similar and dissimilar properties to
make the study easy, scientific and practicable is known as classification of elements.
 Periodic table
The chart or table in which elements are arranged into rows and columns on
the basis of their physical and chemical properties is known as periodic table.

Uses of periodic table

01 02 03 04
Clear and distinct It helps for the It gives correct It display the
classification of prediction of new position, atomic numbers,
almost all elements properties of weight, symbols
elements. elements and name of the
elements along
with information
about the
structure of their
atoms
Mendeleev's periodic table

Dimitri Ivanovich Mendeleev

A Russian chemist
 Dimitri Ivanovich Mendeleev was
the first person to introduce to the
concept of the periodic table on the
basis of atomic mass as well as
similarities of the elements.
Mendeleev’s periodic law state that “the physical
and the chemical properties of elements are the
periodic function of their atomic mass.”

He arranged 63 known elements on the basis of

increasing atomic masses.
Features of Mendeleev's periodic table
Mendeleev
Arranged all the known
elements in increasing order of
their atomic masses. The
elements with similar properties
came under the same group
after a regular interval
Groups
The vertical columns of
elements are groups and
they are names as I to VIII.
And the groups were
further divided into A and B Period
subgroups. The 9th group is
named as zero group which
The horizontal row of elements
are called periods. In order
contain noble gases accommodate more elements the
periods 4,5,6 are divided into two
halves. The 1st half were placed in
the upper left corner and the 2nd
one in lower right corner of each
box
 He found the mistake It helps in the
in the atomic masses systematic and
of certain elements scientific study of the
and he corrected those elements
mistakes

Noble gases could Merits of

accommodate in new
groups without Mendeleev’s He classified 63 known
disturbing the existing periodic elements at that time
order.
table

The gaps in the table

encourage others to Gaps were there for
discover new elements undiscovered
elements
 No attempt had been
made to place metals, Position of hydrogen
non metals, and was not assigned
metalloids separately correctly.
in periodic table

Position of lanthanides
Demerits of Separation of
chemically similar
and actinides were Mendeleev’s elements and grouping
not assigned periodic of chemically dissimilar
elements in different
table groups

Anomalous pair of
elements. For example
argon having higher atomic
weight has been placed
before potassium which
have less atomic weight
Position of isotopes was
not assigned. It was not
capable the atomic
properties like valency,
metallic character,
reactivity, ionization
potential
 Definitions
Isotopes are the atoms of same elements
which have same atomic number, similar

1st Isotopes properties but different atomic masses

Example; Hydrogen have 3 isotopes;
 hydrogen, deuterium, and tritium

lanthanide The 14 elements from atomic number 58 to 71

2nd s
that follow lanthanum are termed as
lanthanides.

3rd actinides The elements from atomic number 90 to 103

that follow actinium are termed as actinides.

It is the substance which is made of an atom

4th element that can neither created nor destroyed but can
be change into other form by synthetic
process.
Modern periodic table

Henery Moseley
 In 1913, Henery Moseley provided
the detail that the atomic number is
more fundamental property for
classifying elements
Modern periodic law state that “the physical and
the chemical properties of elements are the
periodic function of their atomic numbers.”

Based on the modern periodic law Bohr

constructed long form of periodic table or modern
periodic table.
 The position of alkali The wrong position of
metals and less some elements like
reactive coinage argon and potassium
metals are placed. were solved.

The representative and Merits of Isotopes are in same

transition element has
been separated as well as it modern position because of
their same atomic
separates metal from non
metal periodic numbers
table

The groups are divided Hydrogen is

into subgroups A and B considered as unique
because the difference in elements and placed
the properties at the top alkali metals
 It gives important Elements are arranged
information of element on the basis of their
increasing atomic
like atomic number
numbers. There are 7
and weight, name, periods and 18 groups .
symbol

All the groups are divided

into sub groups A and B characteristic Alkali and alkaline earth
metals are placed on side
except zero and VIII groups.
s of modern of transition metals and
non metals at right and
periodic table metalloids at the center.

The lanthanides and The inert gas were

actinides are kept below placed into the
the main table extreme right side of
the table.
 Periods
The periodic table consists of 7 rows of elements called periods.
In a period of a periodic table, elements having gradual change in properties
are placed one after another.
Types of period

Very short Very long

Short period Long period
period period

Period No.=1 Period No.=2 and 3 Period No.=4 and 5 Period No.=6 and 7
No of elements=2 No of No of No of
elements=8/8 elements=18/18 elements=32/32
 Characteristics of period
Valence Electron:
The number of Valence Electrons increases from 1 to 8 on moving from left to right. But the number of shell is the same for all the elements
present in the same period. For example, in period 2, the valence electron of Lithium is 1, beryllium is 2, Boron is 3, and so on.

Valency:
The elements in the same period have different valencies. Across a period from left to right, the valency first increases from 1 to 4 then
decreases to 0.

Atomic size:
Across a period from left to right, the atomic size decreases as the atomic number increases. This is because more electrons are added to
the outer shell and the nuclear charge also increases with atomic number. As a result, the nucleus greatly attracts the electrons near to it.
Due to this the outermost shell contracts and the atomic size decreases.
Metallic character:
Metallic character decreases as the atomic number increases while moving from left to right in a period. For example in period 2, Lithium
and Beryllium are metals, Boron is a metalloid while nitrogen, carbon, oxygen are non metals.

Reactivity:
The reactivity decreases on moving from left to right in a period of the group IA/1 and IIA/2 TO IVA/14 and after that it increases up to
group VIIA/17. For example, Lithium is more reactive than beryllium because the single valence electron of lithium is is attracted by the
protons of the nucleus while 4 protons of its nucleus attracts 2 valence electrons of Beryllium.
27 October

Groups
The elements with similar characteristics arranged in the
vertical columns of the periodic table is called groups.

There are nine groups numbered by Roman number from I

to VIII and zero.
Except zero and VIII other groups are divided into sub
groups A and B.

The group number to which an element belongs to in the

periodic table is equal to the number of electrons present in
the outermost shell of that atom of element.
 Characteristics of groups
Valence Electron:
The number of Valence electrons remains the same in a group. For example, the atoms of all the elements of group IIA have two electrons in
their outermost shell.

Valency:
The elements in the same group have same valency as they have equal valance electrons. The elements of group zero have no valency.

Atomic size:
The distance between nucleus and the valence shell of an isolated gaseous atom is called atomic size.
The size of atoms increases uniformly on moving top to bottom In a group of the modern periodic table because a new shell is
added as one goes down in the group.
Metallic character:
Metallic character increases as we move form top to bottom in a group because of the increasement of atomic size and decrease in the force
of attraction between nucleus and electrons in valance shell. For example sodium is more reactive than Lithium.

Non metallic character:

The non metallic character decrease as we move form top to bottom in a group because of the increasement of atomic size and decrease in
the force of attraction between nucleus and electrons in valance shell. For example fluorine is most reactive element in group VIIA.
 Position of different elements in Modern periodic table
Hydrogen
Hydrogen has one valance electron in its valance shell. It has an equal chance to give the valance electron to other or take one electron from
other to become stable. It is placed at the top of the group IA due to its least atomic number i.e. 1

Representative elements:
The first two groups on the left (1 &2) and the last six groups ( 13 to 18) involve filling S- and p- orbitals with elements are known as
representative elements.

Position of metals, non metals and metalloids

Metals are usually found on the left side at the center in the modern periodic table.
Non metals are placed on the right side of zigzag line in the periodic table.
Metalloids are found along the zigzag line between metals and non metals i.e. They occupy the right side next to metals.
Group IA or 1
The elements which have one valance electron in their valance shell are belongs to this group. They lose one electron and they are also
called alkali metals because they produce hydroxide when they react with water.

Group IIA or 2
The elements which have two valance electron in their valance shell are belongs to this group. They lose two electron and they are also
called alkaline earth metals because they produce less soluble hydroxide when they react with water.

Group VIIA or 17
The elements which have seven valance electron in their valance shell are belongs to this group. They gain one electron and they are also
called halogens because they produce salt when they react with elements from group IA.
Group 0 or 18
The elements which have eight valance electron in their valance shell are belongs to this group except helium. They are already stable in
nature and they are also called noble or inert gas because they do not take part in chemical reaction.

Transition elements
The elements pf group IB/11, IIB/12, IIIB/13, VIIB/17 and VIII/18 are called transition elements. They are also called d block elements because
electrons fills the valance shells of atoms of the elements having d sub shells by one as the atomic number increase.

Lanthanides and Actinides

The two more rows below the main table each having 14 elements are lanthanides and actinides. They are inner transition elements or rare
earth metals. They are also known as f block elements because they are the series of elements in which 4f(sub shell) and 5f are progressively
filled.
 Thank you!

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