Periodic system of

chemical elements
Chapter 8
The structure of the periodic system of
chemical elements

You will learn

physical meaning of group, period and atomic

number
Have you heard
about periodic
table?
Why it is called periodic?
Mass number
(number of

O
protons + number
of neutrons)
16
Element symbol

Atomic number
8
(number of
protons)
Exercise

Hydrogen Carbon Sulfur Calcium Copper Gold

Symbol
Atomic
number
Atomic
mass
Exercise

Hydrogen Carbon Sulfur Calcium Copper Gold

Symbol H C S Ca Cu Au
Atomic
number
1 6 16 20 29 79
Atomic
mass
1 12 32 40 63 197
 Periods

Each horizontal row in the Periodic

table is called a period. There are
seven periods in the modern periodic
table and each period begins with
alkali metal and ends with a noble
gas.
Groups
Elements put in vertical column

Since the chemical and physical properties of the elements

in a group are similar, they are sometimes also called a
family. There are eighteen groups in the Periodic table.

Groups contain elements with similar chemical properties

and physical properties. For example, the metals in group
1 are all reactive, whereas the elements in group 0 are all
unreactive gases.
Electron arrangement of atoms shows the exact position
of the element in the PT.
• The number of electrons in the outer shell is the
number of a groups;
• The number of electron shells shows the period. For
example, sodium (Na) has got 3 electron shells and
located in the 3rd period;
• The number of electrons in the outer shell is also
known as valence electrons;
Activity
● Divide into small groups
● Assign different groups to a different group from periodic table
(Groups 1,2, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
● In their groups research and discuss the common characteristics
of elements
● Groups presents their findings