The periodic table is an efficient and compact arrangement
for all of the known chemical elements. Once you understand the organization of
the periodic table, you will be able to use it to quickly obtain a wealth of
information about any of the inclusive 112 + elements. In addition to obtaining
the name, symbol, atomic number, and atomic mass for any element, you will also
be able to use the periodic table to help you predict an element's chemical
behavior.
But, in order to realize the full potential of the periodic
table as a valuable chemical resource, you must understand its organization.
Looking at the periodic table, you can see that the elements
are arranged horizontally by order of increasing atomic number. Notice that the
periodic table consists of several horizontal rows. These horizontal rows are
called periods.
The vertical rows found in the periodic table are called
groups, or families. Elements within a specific group have similar chemical
properties. As we will discuss in the next section, the similar chemical
properties of elements within a group occur because these elements have the
same number of electrons in their outer shells.
These groups can be divided into three categories: metals,
nonmetals, and metalloids. In general, the diagonal line (that resembles a
staircase) in the right-hand side of the periodic table separates the metals
form the nonmetals.
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