Library Guides: Periodic table and chemical reactions: Overview

Don't forget to cite and reference your sources. For help see the Junior School or Senior School referencing guides, and / or CiteMaker.

Resource Key

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Brief, basic information laid out in an easy-to-read format. May use informal language. (Includes most news articles)

LEVEL

Provides additional background information and further reading. Introduces some subject-specific language.

LEVEL

Lengthy, detailed information. Frequently uses technical/subject-specific language. (Includes most analytical articles)

General Capabilities

Enduring Understandings

Understanding the development and importance of the trends of Periodic Table as a tool to determine the bonding types and properties of materials.
Use of analytical skills and chemical knowledge to synthesise data and make meaningful conclusions about various types and speed of chemical reactions.

Quick Links

Periodic table and chemical reactions | Keywords

Click on the terms to access a simple definition from either the Oxford Dictionary online or ThoughtCo. The definitions for words and phrases marked with a hash # come from alternative sources.

Allotropes, Atom, Atomic mass, Chemical, Electron, Element, Isotopes, Metal, Neutron, Nobel gas, Nonmetal, Nucleus, Periodic table, Photon, Proton, Subatomic, Subatomic particle.

Periodic table and chemical reactions | Introduction

How to Use a Periodic Table (Thought.Co)
"The periodic table of the elements contains a wide variety of information. Most tables list element symbols, atomic number, and atomic mass at a minimum. The periodic table is organized so you can see trends in element properties at a glance." (Helmenstine, 2018)
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Reference / citation: Helmenstine (2018) or (Helmenstine, 2018)
Reference list / Bibliography: Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2018, October 19). How to Use a Periodic Table. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-use-a-periodic-table-608807
What the Numbers on the Periodic Table Mean (Thought.Co)
"Are you confused by all the numbers on a periodic table? Here's a look at what they mean and where to find important numbers on the table." (Helmenstine, 2018)
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Reference / citation: Helmenstine (2018) or (Helmenstine, 2018)
Reference list / Bibliography: Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2018, June 22). What the Numbers on the Periodic Table Mean. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/the-numbers-on-the-periodic-table-608806

Periodic table of the elements (Britannica High, n.d.)
"periodic table of the elements, in chemistry, the organized array of all the chemical elements in order of increasing atomic number" ("Periodic table of the elements", n.d.) The article includes sections on: * History of the periodic law, * History of the periodic law, * Periods, * Groups, * Classification of elements into groups, * Periodic trends in properties, and * The basis of the periodic system
Other chemical and physical classifications
Additional Reading
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Reference / citation: "Periodic table of the elements", (n.d.) or ("Periodic table of the elements", n.d.)
Reference list / Bibliography: Periodic table of the elements. (n.d.). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from https://bt-libproxy.mentonegirls.vic.edu.au/levels/high/article/periodic-table-of-the-elements/110603

To view this video on campus remember to first login to your school Google account using your mConnect username and password. Click here for more help on using YouTube on campus.

"Introduction video on the periodic table being explained to chemistry school & science students . The video explains how there are 92 naturally occurring elements, one for each kind of atom, and how they are arranged into a table according to their relative weights. The expanded table is shown, and how this is abbreviated into the common Periodic Table. The division between metals, semi-metals and non-metals is discussed, with notable examples. It also shows how the elements are arranged in rows and groups, the latter containing elements with similar properties, like members of a family. " (AtomicSchool, 2014)

Source

When using this video don't forget to cite and reference your sources. For more information and help see the Kerferd Library referencing guide and / or CiteMaker.
In text reference / citation: AtomicSchool, (2014) or (AtomicSchool, 2014)
Bibliography / Reference list: AtomicSchool, (2014). Periodic Table Explained: Introduction, [eVideo]. AtomicSchool. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/uPkEGAHo78o

Periodic table and chemical reactions | Key terms and concepts

What Is an Element in Chemistry? Definition and Examples (Thought.Co)
"A chemical element is a substance that cannot be broken down by chemical means. Although elements aren't changed by chemical reactions, new elements may be formed by nuclear reactions." (Helmenstine, 2018)
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Reference / citation: Helmenstine (2018) or (Helmenstine, 2018)
Reference list / Bibliography: Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2018, June 22). What Is an Element in Chemistry? Definition and Examples. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-element-chemistry-604452
Allotrope: Definition and Examples (Thought.Co)
"The term allotrope refers to one or more forms of a chemical element that occur in the same physical state." (Helmenstine, 2019)
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Reference / citation: Helmenstine (2019) or (Helmenstine, 2019)
Reference list / Bibliography: Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2019, January 13). Allotrope Definition and Examples. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/allotrope-definition-in-chemistry-606370

Periodic table and chemical reactions | Groups

The vertical column (or list) of elements in the periodic table groups elements with the same characteristics. For example 'Group 1 includes hydrogen and the alkali metals, which have one electron in their outermost s sub-shell." (Royal College of Chemistry, n.d.). See the following resources for more information on groups.

List of Periodic Table Groups (Helmenstine, 2018)
A list of groups in the periodic table with a short summary of each groups properties and characteristics. Groups include: Metals, Nonmetals, Noble gases or inert gases, Halogens; Semimetals or Metalloids, Alkali metals, Alkaline aarths, Basic metals, Transition Metals, Rare earths, Lanthanides and Actinides
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Reference / citation: Helmenstine (2018) or (Helmenstine, 2018)
Reference list / Bibliography: Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2018, October 19). List of Periodic Table Groups. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/element-groups-606671
Group [Chemistry], (Britannica High, n.d.)
"group, in chemistry, a set of chemical elements in the same vertical column of the periodic table. The elements in a group have similarities in the electronic configuration of their atoms, and thus they exhibit somewhat related physical and chemical properties." ("Group", n.d.)
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Reference / citation: "Group", (n.d.) or ("Group", n.d.)
Reference list / Bibliography: Group. (n.d.). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from https://bt-libproxy.mentonegirls.vic.edu.au/levels/high/article/group/38223

Groups include:

Metal (Britannica High, n.d.)
"metal, any of a class of substances characterized by high electrical and thermal conductivity as well as by malleability, ductility, and high reflectivity of light." ("Metal", n.d.)
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Reference / citation: "Metal", (n.d.) or ("Metal", n.d.)
Reference list / Bibliography: Metal. (n.d.). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from https://bt-libproxy.mentonegirls.vic.edu.au/levels/high/article/metal/52266
Transition metal (Britannica High, n.d.)
"transition metal, any of various chemical elements that have valence electrons—i.e., electrons that can participate in the formation of chemical bonds—in two shells instead of only one." ("Transition metal", n.d.)
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Reference / citation: "Transition metal", (n.d.) or ("Transition metal", n.d.)
Reference list / Bibliography: Transition metal. (n.d.). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from https://bt-libproxy.mentonegirls.vic.edu.au/levels/high/article/transition-metal/110614

Periodic table and chemical reactions | Periods

"In chemistry, the term period refers to a horizontal row of the periodic table. Elements in the same period all have the same highest unexcited electron energy level or same ground state energy level. In other words, each atom has the same number of electron shells... Period 8 consists solely of yet-to-be-discovered synthetic elements. Period 8 is not found on the typical periodic table, but does show up on extended periodic tables." (Helmenstine, 2018)

Period Definition in Chemistry (Helmenstine, 2018)
"In chemistry, the term period refers to a horizontal row of the periodic table. Elements in the same period all have the same highest unexcited electron energy level or same ground state energy level." (Helmenstine, 2018)
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Reference / citation: Helmenstine (2018) or (Helmenstine, 2018)
Reference list / Bibliography: Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2018, June 22). Period Definition in Chemistry. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-period-in-chemistry-604599
Lanthanides (Helmenstine, 2018)
"The lanthanides are generally considered to be elements with atomic numbers 58-71 (lanthanum to lutetium).... All of these elements are metals (specifically, transition metals). They share several common properties." (Helmenstine, 2018)
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Reference / citation: Helmenstine (2018) or (Helmenstine, 2018)
Reference list / Bibliography: Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2018, June 22). Lanthanides Definition in Chemistry. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-lanthanides-604554
Actinides (Helmenstine, 2018)
"The actinides or actinoids are a set of radioactive elements on the periodic table, usually considered ranging from atomic number 89 to atomic number 103." (Helmenstine, 2018)
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Reference / citation: Helmenstine (2018) or (Helmenstine, 2018)
Reference list / Bibliography: Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2018, June 22). Actinides Definition in Chemistry. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/actinides-606643

Periodic table and chemical reactions | Curriculum Alignment

This Mentone Girls' Grammar School LibGuide supports the following Victorian curriculum outcomes. Click on the links to explore more.

Science / Levels 9 and 10 / Science Understanding / Chemical sciences [VCSSU122]
All matter is made of atoms which are composed of protons, neutrons and electrons; natural radioactivity arises from the decay of nuclei in atoms
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Elaboration:
* "describing and modelling the structure of atoms in terms of the nucleus, protons, neutrons and electrons
* comparing the mass and charge of protons, neutrons and electrons
* describing in simple terms how alpha and beta particles and gamma radiation are released from unstable atoms.
Science / Levels 9 and 10 / Science Understanding / Chemical sciences [VCSSU123]
The atomic structure and properties of elements are used to organise them in the periodic table
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Elaboration:
* describing the structure of atoms in terms of electron shells,
* explaining how the electronic structure of an atom determines its position in the periodic table and its properties,
* investigating the chemical activity of metals.
Science / Levels 9 and 10 / Science Understanding / Chemical sciences [VCSSU125]
Different types of chemical reactions are used to produce a range of products and can occur at different rates; chemical reactions may be represented by balanced chemical equations
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Elaboration:
* investigating how chemical reactions result in the production of a range of useful substances, for example, fuels, metals and pharmaceuticals,
* using word or symbol equations to represent chemical reactions,
* investigating the effect of a range of factors, for example, temperature and catalysts, on the rate of chemical reactions

Science / Year 10 / Science Understanding / Chemical sciences [ACSSU186]
Chemical sciences: The atomic structure and properties of elements are used to organise them in the Periodic Table
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Elaborations
* recognising that elements in the same group of the periodic table have similar properties
* describing the structure of atoms in terms of electron shells
* explaining how the electronic structure of an atom determines its position in the periodic table and its properties
* investigating the chemical activity of metals