Chemistry

Halogens

Concept Table salt, bleach, fluoride in toothpaste, chlorine in swimming pools—what do all of these have in common? Add halogen lamps to the list, and the answer becomes more clear: all involve one or more of the halogens, which form Group 7 of the periodic table of elements. Known collectively by a term derived from […]

Metalloids

concept The term “metalloid” may sound like a reference to a heavy-metal music fan, but in fact it describes a small collection of elements on the right-hand side of the periodic table. Forming a diagonal between boron and astatine, which lies four rows down and four columns to the right of boron, the metalloids are […]

Nonmetals

Concept Nonmetals, as their name implies, are elements that display properties quite different from those of metals. Generally, they are poor conductors of heat and electricity, and they are not ductile: in other words, they cannot be easily reshaped. Included in this broad grouping are the six noble gases, the five halogens, and eight “orphan” […]

NONMETALS AND METALLOIDS

Lanthanides

Concept Along the bottom of the periodic table of elements, separated from the main body of the chart, are two rows, the first of which represents the lanthanides. Composed of lanthanum and the 14 elements of the lanthanide series, the lanthanides were once called the “rare earth” metals. In fact, they are not particularly rare: […]

Actinides

CONCEPT The actinides (sometimes called actinoids) occupy the “bottom line” of the periodic table—a row of elements normally separated from the others, placed at the foot of the chart along with the lanthanides. Both of these families exhibit unusual atomic characteristics, properties that set them apart from the normal sequence on the periodic table. But […]

Transition Metals

CONCEPT By far the largest family of elements is the one known as the transition metals, sometimes called transition elements. These occupy the “dip” in the periodic table between the “tall” sets of columns or groups on either side. Consisting of 10 columns and four rows or periods, the transition metals are usually numbered at […]

Alkaline earth metals

CONCEPT The six alkaline earth metals—beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and radium—comprise Group 2 on the periodic table of elements. This puts them beside the alkali metals in Group 1, and as their names suggest, the two families share a number of characteristics, most notably their high reactivity. Also, like the alkali metals, or indeed […]

Alkali Metals

CONCEPT Group 1 of the periodic table of elements consists of hydrogen, and below it the six alkali metals: lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, and francium. The last three are extremely rare, and have little to do with everyday life; on the other hand, it is hard to spend a day without encountering at least […]

Metals

CONCEPT A number of characteristics distinguish metals, including their shiny appearance, as well as their ability to be bent into various shapes without breaking. In addition, metals tend to be highly efficient conductors of heat and electricity. The vast majority of elements on the periodic table are metals, and most of these fall into one […]