Periodic Table Basics

Front

What is the periodic table?

Back

A tabular arrangement of chemical elements, organized by increasing atomic number, electron configuration, and recurring chemical properties.

Front

What is an element?

Back

A pure substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means, consisting of atoms with the same number of protons.

Front

What is an atom?

Back

The smallest unit of an element that retains the properties of that element.

Front

What are metals?

Back

Elements that are typically shiny, good conductors of heat and electricity, and malleable.

Front

What are non-metals?

Back

Elements that are generally poor conductors of heat and electricity and can be gases, liquids, or brittle solids.

Front

What is the significance of the zig-zag line on the periodic table?

Back

It separates metals from non-metals.

Front

Which element is often considered 'out of place' on the periodic table?

Back

Hydrogen (H), as it is a non-metal located in the metal section.

Front

What is a group in the periodic table?

Back

A vertical column of elements that share similar chemical properties.

Front

What is a period in the periodic table?

Back

A horizontal row of elements in the periodic table, indicating the number of electron shells.

Front

Who is Dmitri Mendeleev?

Back

A Russian chemist who created the first widely recognized periodic table of elements.