ELEMENTS

REPRESENTATIVE
ELEMENTS

TRANSITION
ELEMENTS

Groups 1, 2, 13 -18

Groups 3-12

STATES OF MATTER

Group 1 - the Alkali Metals

Group 2 - the Alkaline Earth metals

Groups 1 and 2
very reactive
always found in nature combined with other
elements.
all are metals except H, the first element in Group 1
H is placed in Group 1
but shares properties with Group 1 and Group 17.

Group 1 : Alkali Metals

silvery solids with :
- low densities
(soft can be cut with knife)
- low melting points
React by losing 1 electron

Li
Na
K
Rb
Cs
Fr

are more reactive as you move down the column

explosively reactive with water
Na+ and K+ are important in our cells
Commonly forms salts (NaCl) and oxides

Group 2 : Alkaline Earth Metals

denser
harder
higher melting point

than the alkali metal in the same period.

less reactive
React by losing 2 electrons
important in our bodies
Ca (teeth, bones,muscles)
Mg (ATP, DNA, RNA)

Groups
13 - 18

Groups 1 and 2
all solids
all metals
Groups 13-18
a single group can contain
metals

solids

nonmetals

liquids

metalloids

gases.

Group 13, the Boron

Family

Group 13The Boron Family

all are metals except Boron = a brittle semi-metal
USES OF BORON
Semi-conductors
Essential plant nutrient
Boric acid
- detergent
- insecticide
- eye wash

Aluminum
Most abundant metal in Earths crust
Light weight, non-corrosive metal
USES
Cans, Aluminum foil
Pots and pans
Planes
Doors, windows

Gallium
solid metal
melts at 30 C melts in your hand.
semiconductors.

Group 14, the Carbon

Group

 non-metal
base of all living things
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
BIOCHEMISTRY
study of chemical reactions of C compounds in our
body
exists as an element in several forms.

Different forms of the same element in the same physical state.

Diamonds
- Hardest material and form of C
- Use jewellry, drill bits
Graphite
- Softest form of C
- Used as lubricant, pencils, semiconductor

SEMI-METALS
Silicon
Germanium

The heaviest elements in Group 14.

Group 15, the Nitrogen

Group

NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS

required by living things
proteins
Genetic material - DNA
Energy storage

- ATP

 80 % of atmosphere is N2 (diatomic atom)

No color, taste, smell and non-toxic
Mostly INERT

 We cant use
N2 gas in the air.

USES
fertilizers.
cleaner and disinfectant when dissolved in water.
e.g. Windex

PHOSPHORUS
ALLOTROPES
1) WHITE (very reactive)
cant be exposed to oxygen in the air or it will
burst into flames.
2) RED (less reactive)
used in matches
ignites from the heat produced by friction

ESSENTIAL FOR
healthy teeth and bones.

Plants
fertilizers

included in plant

Group 16, the Oxygen Group

heavier members
Tellurium
Polonium

both metalloids.

 20 % of atmosphere
readily combines with other elements
abundant in Earths rocks and minerals
required for combustion (respiration)

0.00006%

UPPER ATMOSPHERE
Protects us from UV radiation from sun
LOWER ATMOSPHERE
Formed by car pollution
- part of smog toxic and irritant

Teeth whitener
Teeth whitener

=S+H+O
one of the most commonly used chemicals in the
world.
USES
Car batteries
paints
fertilizers
detergents
synthetic fibers
rubber

 conducts electricity when exposed to light

USES
solar cells
light meters
photographic materials.
Trace amounts necessary for good health

Group 17, the Halogens

Group 7 The halogens

F
Cl
Br
I
At

- brown gas

Cl

- green gas

Br - liquid
I

- solid

4) Reactivity DECREASES as you go down the group

Fluorine > Chlorine > Bromine > Iodine

F
Cl
Br
I

Decreasing
reactivity

 means salt-former.
1) All form salts with Na and with the other alkali
metals.
-

+
Na

Cl

ALKALI metal + Halogen

Na

Cl

IONIC SALT

Cl

Cl

F2
Cl2
Br2
I2

Cl

Cl

Added to drinking water and toothpaste

to protect teeth

TEFLON

Disinfect water
Bleach (whitener)
PVC
HCl acid

disinfectant in water treatment

fire retardant chemicals

Goiter
= iodine deficiency
(added to salt to prevent it)

Antiseptic

Group 18 The Noble gases

He
Ne
Ar
Kr
Xe
Rn

NOBLE GASES
Have FULL valence shell
He = 2, others = 8
reactivity is very low = almost INERT
rarely combine with other elements
Usually found uncombined in nature.

HELIUM
lighter then air
used in balloons and airships
Will run out in 20-30 yrs
escapes to outer space

NEON LIGHTS

NEON LIGHTS
Each noble gas produces a unique color.

Helium yellow
Neon - red-orange
Argon - blue-violet
Krypton - white
Xenon - blue

Argon
used in incandescent lights to conserve
filament
Krypton cheap car lights
Xenon expensive car lights
strobe lights.

RADON
-radioactive gas
-colorless, orderless, tasteless gas
-produced naturally as uranium decays in rocks
and soil
- can cause lung cancer

ELEMENTS
REPRESENTATIVE
ELEMENTS

TRANSITION
ELEMENTS

Groups 1, 2, 13 -18

Groups 3-12

TRANSITION
ELEMENTS
represent the transition between group 2 elements and group 13 elements.

 All are metals.

their properties dont change as much as
representative elements when going across a
period.
Most are found in nature as
elements

ORES -metal combined with other

USES
Most have higher melting points than the
representative elements.
TUNGSTEN = the filaments of light bulbs
the highest m.p. of any metal (3,410C)
wont melt when a current passes through it.

MERCURY
has the lowest m.p. of any metal (39C)
is used in thermometers and in barometers.

the only metal that is a liquid at room

temperatures.
Like many of the heavy metals, mercury is
poisonous to living beings.

IRON TRIAD

three elements in period 4 with very similar

properties
- Iron
- Cobalt
- Nickel

all have magnetic

properties.

IRON TRIAD
Industrial magnets
- an alloy of nickel, cobalt, and aluminum.
NiCad batteries = Nickel + Cadmium.
Iron - part of hemoglobin, transports oxygen
in the blood.
STEEL = Fe + other metals + C

COLOR
Many transition elements form substances with
brilliant colors.
ex. Cobalt blue
Copper green
Aluminum oxide - red

NOBLE METALS
Gold

INERT (or almost)

Silver

do not combine easily with

other elements.

Platinum
Ruthenium
Rhodium
Palladium
Osmium
Iridium

do not oxidize
maintain their shine
can be used as catalysts.

CATALYST
a substance that can make something happen
faster but is not changed itself.
NO2 + platinum N2 + O2 + platinum

ex.

Platinum
Nickel
Zinc
Cobalt.

INNER TRANSITION ELEMENTS

2 series
1) LANTHANIDES

2) ACTINIDES

THE LANTHANIDES
(RARE EARTH METALS)
Actually very common not so rare
difficult to separate because so similar in properties

ACTINIDES
all radioactive
nuclei are unstable and decay to form other elements

Only natural ACTINIDES on Earth

(because of long half-life)

Thorium 14 billion years

Protactinium 32,000 years
Uranium 4.5 billion years

SYNTHETIC ACTINIDES
made in nuclear power plants or labs by crashing nuclear particles
with each other
HALF-LIVES
Most very short

USES
Plutonium

- nuclear weapons

Americium

- smoke detectors.

Californium-252

- kill cancer cells.

HALF LIVES
Ununoctium
Ununseptium
Ununhexium
Ununpentium
Ununquadium
Darmstadtium
Roentgenium
Ununtrium
Francium
Meitnerium
Ununbium
Hassium
Bohrium
Seaborgium
Nobelium
Dubnium
Astatine
Lawrencium
Rutherfordium

5 ms
50 ms
120 ms
1m
1.33 m
4m
10 m
20 m
21.7 m
30 m
40 m
1.11 h
1.5 h
1.94 h
2.78 h
5.56 h
8.06 h
10 h
13.1 h

Radon
Mendelevium
Fermium
Einsteinium
Promethium
Actinium
Polonium
Californium
Berkelium
Radium
Americium
Protactinium
Neptunium
Technetium
Curium
Plutonium
Uranium
Thorium
Bismuth

3.823495 d
51.5 d
100.5 d
1.2922 y
17.73 y
21.7865 y
102.1 y
900.6 y
1379 y
1.59103 y
7388 y
32788 y
2.1455106 y
4.12106 y
1.56107 y
7.93107 y
4.471109 y
1.4061010 y
1.91019 y

Dentistry and Dental Materials

AMALGAM
= silver + copper + tin + mercury
= silver filling.
Dentists have been using amalgam for over
150 years to fill cavities in decayed teeth.