Periodic Table Basics

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What is the Periodic Table?

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A tabular arrangement of chemical elements, organized by increasing atomic number, where elements with similar properties are grouped together.

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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 isotope?

Back

An atom with the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons.

Front

What does the atomic number represent?

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The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, which determines the element's identity.

Front

What is a period in the periodic table?

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A horizontal row in the periodic table that indicates the number of energy shells an element has.

Front

What is a group in the periodic table?

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A vertical column in the periodic table that contains elements with similar chemical properties.

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What are metals?

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

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What are nonmetals?

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Elements that are generally poor conductors of heat and electricity and have varied physical properties.

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What are metalloids?

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Elements that have properties of both metals and nonmetals, often used as semiconductors.

Front

What is the significance of the element's position in the periodic table?

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The position indicates its properties, reactivity, and the number of valence electrons.