The periodic table of elements
The periodic table of elements refers to a phenomenon of presenting the chemical elements in a table with the details being arranged in the atomic number increasing order. The periodic table was/ is attributed to Dmitri Mendeleev, a Russian chemist who designed the table in a manner of showing the regular patterns or trends. With the help of the observed trends, he left gaps for the elements that he assumed were missing. The details refer to the pure substances that cannot be broken down using chemical reactions.
To expound on the recurring properties that Mendeleev observed, he began by grouping the rows in a manner that the elements with similar properties were set in related vertical columns referred to as the groups. Each row was referred to as a period. The figure below illustrates a simplified periodic table version.
Fig 1.0 A simplified diagram showing a section of the periodic table. Metals are displayed in grey, non-metals in turquoise and the metalloids in light blue.
To comprehend trends of elements in the periodic table, there are several terms that one requires to understand. Atomic radius of an item refers to the evaluation of the size of an atom, and the ionization energy refers to the power that is needed to extract one electron from a particle within the gas phase. Each element has its unique ionization energy. The first, second and third ionization energies refer to the powers that are utilized to remove the second, third and the fourth electron. The affinity of a particle refers to the agility of an element to want an electron. The electronegativity of a component refers to the tendency of the atom to attract electrons. Mostly, the electronegativity of the elements initiates from about 0.7 for Francium (Fr) and leads up to 4 for Fluorine (F)
A group refers to a vertical column within a periodic table that is considered to be an essential way of element classification. From figure 1.0 above, the groups are labelled at the top of each column. The groups are further numbered from one to 18 from left to right. In some other periodic tables, the groups are numbered from left to right as 1 and 2, and then there is left an open space which represents the transition elements.
The atomic number of the element refers to the number of protons contained in the nucleus of an atom within a component. It further relates to the charge number of the core since the neutrons carry no electric charge. It is vital to note that the atomic number accounts for the identity of an element and the majority of its chemical properties. The current modernized periodic table is arranged with the increasing atomic number. Since the atomic number is used to indicate the number of protons, it is usually represented by a capital letter Z. The atomic number of the electrons has a close relationship with the chemical properties, in that it also determines the number of electrons in a neutral atom. Additionally, it evaluates on the configuration of a particle of a bit and the properties of the outermost valence shell. In conclusion, it is essential to accord the significance of the periodic trends that arise from the regular table arrangement, as they provide the chemists with an invaluable tool to make predictions of the properties of elements quickly.