Periodic Table - Families

Scientists group families of elements by their chemical properties.  Each family reacts a different way with the outside world.  Metals behave differently than gases and there are even different types of metals.  Some don't react, others are very reactive, and some are metallic.

Usually, the colums of the periodic table are used to define families.  The inert gases are all located in the far right column of the table.

Families

- Alkali Metals

They are found in group 1 of the periodic table:

• Highly reactive metals that do not occur freely in nature.
• These metals have only one electron in their outer shell.  Therefore, they are ready to lose that one electron in ionic bonding with other elements.
• Malleable, ductile, good conductors of heat and electricity.
• Softer than most other metals.

Sodium

- Alkaline Earth Metals

They are found in group 2 of the periodic table:

• Same properties as alkali metals but an ionization number of +2, making them very reactive, but less reactive than the alkali metals.

Magnesium

- Transition Metals

• Transition elements are ductile and malleable, they conduct electricity and heat.
• Their valence electrons are present in more than one shell.  This is why they often exhibit several common oxidation states

Gold

- Halogen Gases

• Non-metallic elements are found in group 17 of the periodic table.
• All halogens have 7 electrons in their outer shells, giving them an ionization number of -1.

Bromine

- Noble Gases

• Group 18 of the periodic table.
• Ionization number of 0.  This prevents them from forming compounds readily.
• All noble gases have 8 electrons in their outer shells, making them stable.

- Lanthanide and Actinide series

• All of them are found in group 3 of the periodic table, 6th and 7th periods.
• most of them are man-made (synthetic)
• Same properties as other metals