Periodic Table Basics
100: What is a period on the periodic table?
Answer: A horizontal row of elements.
100: Elements to the left of the stair-step line are called what?
➤ Answer: Metals.
100: What does corrosion mean?
➤ Answer: Wearing away of a metal due to a chemical reaction, such as tarnishing.
100: What is the most reactive metal family?
➤ Answer: Alkali metals.
100: What element bursts into flames when it touches water?
➤ Answer: Sodium.
200: What is a group or family on the periodic table?
➤ Answer: A vertical column of elements.
200: Elements to the right of the stair-step line are called what?
➤ Answer: Nonmetals.
200: What element is the most abundant metal in Earth’s crust?
➤ Answer: Aluminum.
200: What is the most reactive nonmetal family?
➤ Answer: Halogens.
200: What gas is the most abundant in the atmosphere?
➤ Answer: Nitrogen.
300: What does the period number tell you about an element?
➤ Answer: The number of electron energy levels.
300: What are elements along the stair-step line called?
➤ Answer: Metalloids.
300: What element is known as the element of life?
➤ Answer: Carbon.
300: What is the most radioactive series?
➤ Answer: Actinide series.
300: What are the Rare Earth Elements separated from the rest of the table called?
➤ Answer: Rare Earth Elements (Lanthanides and Actinides).
400: Each period has the same number of what?
➤ Answer: Energy levels.
400: Which group of elements is ductile?
➤ Answer: Metals — they can be drawn into a thin wire.
400: What element is used to make computer chips?
➤ Answer: Silicon.
400: What do all elements in a group have in common?
➤ Answer: The same number of valence electrons.
400: Why are the Rare Earth Elements separated from the rest of the table?
➤ Answer: To save space on the periodic table.
500: Each family has the same number of what?
➤ Answer: Valence electrons.
500: Which group of elements is malleable?
➤ Answer: Metals — they can be hammered into thin sheets.
500: What element makes up 21% of the atmosphere?
➤ Answer: Oxygen.
500: What do all elements in a period have in common?
➤ Answer: The same number of energy levels.
500: Which family of elements includes metals, nonmetals, and metalloids?
➤ Answer: Group 14 (Carbon family).