Periodic Table Webquest

Take notes and write down answers to the questions on the Answer sheet. 
Print it out to write on, if you prefer, or copy the answer sheet into a Word document and type your answers.

This is key information for Chapter 13 - The Periodic Table!

 
Part I:
Categories of Elements on the Periodic Table


Objective: To discover the important sections of elements on the periodic table.

Lesson: Go to the Chem4Kids website and follow the links to answer the questions on your answer sheet.

http://www.chem4kids.com/files/elem_pertable.html

Follow the links for:

  • Periodic Table - What is a group?  What is a period?
  • Families - How are elements grouped into families?
  • Metals - What % of elements do these make up?
  • Alkali metals - Who's in?  Who's out?  What are some properties of the alkali metals?
  • Lanthanide Series (part of the inner transition metals) - Under "Meet the Family", what is unique about the actinide series?
  • Halogens - How many electrons do halogens have in their valence energy levels?  What do halogens like to react with?
  • Inert gases (noble gases) - Why are they happy?
Part II:
Some Trends on the Periodic Table


Objective: To discover the periodic trends of certain physical properties of elements related to their position on the Periodic Table of Elements.

Background: The Periodic Table is arranged according to the Periodic Law. The Periodic Law states that when elements are arranged in order of increasing atomic number, their physical and chemical properties show a periodic pattern. Students can discover these patterns by examining the changes in properties of elements on the Periodic Table.

The properties that will be examined in this lesson are:

  • atomic radius
  • first ionization energy
  • electronegativity


Lesson: In this exercise you will look at a few physical properties of elements and how those properties are related to their position on the Periodic Table. Analyze the data found on the Web Elements website to answer the questions listed below.

Activities:

1.  Atomic Radius

Define atomic radius (definition).

View the line graph of atomic radius.
Also see the ball size representation of atomic radius.

  • What do the different colors on the line graph show?
  • What appears to be the trend in atomic radius as you move from left to right in a row?
  • What appears to be the trend in atomic radius as you move from top to bottom in a column?
  • Is the pattern of atomic radius absolute or general (always true or generally true)?
  • Why do the fourth and fifth periods have more dots and different patterns on the line graph?

2.  First Ionization Energy

Define first ionization energy (enthalpy) in your own words(definition).

View the line graph for 1st ionization energy.
Also see the shaded periodic table of 1st ionization energies.

  • What appears to be the trend in ionization energy as you move from left to right in a row?
  • What appears to be the trend in ionization energy as you move from top to bottom in a column?
  • Is the pattern in ionization energy absolute or general (always true or generally true)?

3.  Electronegativity

Define electronegativity in your own words (definition).

View the line graph for electronegativity and the shaded periodic table of electronegativities. 

  • What is the most electronegative element?
  • Where is it found on the periodic table?  (Top, bottom, left, right?)
  • Where are the least electronegative elements found?  (Top, bottom, left, right?)
  • What appears to be the trend in electronegativity as you move from left to right in a row?
  • What appears to be the trend in electronegativity as you move from top to bottom in a column?
  • Is the pattern in electronegativity absolute or general (always true or generally true)?

4.  Periodicity

How do these properties show periodicity (periodic trends) of the chemical elements?  That is, as the atomic number increases, when to the trends repeat?

5.  Evaluating Resources

  • Which type of representation, line graph or shaded periodic table, did you find most useful for seeing the periodicity in these properties?  Explain.
  • Which type of representation, line graph or shaded periodic table, did you find most useful for seeing the general patterns without getting confused by exceptions in that pattern?  Explain.

THE END

 

 

 

Definitions

Return To:  Atomic Radius | First Ionization Energy | Electronegativity

 

Atomic radius => distance from the center of an atom's nucleus to its outer most electron (measures size of the atom)

First ionization energy => the amount of energy needed to steal one (the outermost) electron from an atom

Electronegativity => a measure of how strongly the nucleus of an atom attracts electrons when forming chemical bonds.  Elements with high electronegativity pull valence electrons partially or completely away from elements with low electronegativity when they form bonds.