The periodic table

If a substance has particles made up of atoms of the same type, it is called an

element. The first elements discovered were the native (not found combined with
other elements) metals gold, tin, copper and iron. Now, there are over 110 known
elements (and correspondingly, over 110 kinds of atoms). Approximately ninety of
these are found in nature and the rest are man-made. The radioactive substance
plutonium is one of these synthetic elements. Some elements are very common,
such as oxygen, and some are very rare. Scientists believe that all matter in the
universe is composed of the same elements that are present on Earth.

Each element has been given an atomic symbol and is often shown organised
into the Periodic Table of Elements.

Elements are organised in the Periodic Table by looking at their chemical

properties. A property is a characteristic of a material that can be observed or
measured. Physical properties when observed or measured leave the substance
the same as it was but observing chemical properties produces new substances.
Properties can be used to divide elements in to two major groups, metals and
non-metals. Table 1 below summarises common properties of each group. All
metals are solids at NTP except mercury that is a liquid. Most metals are shiny,
can be hammered into shapes (malleable), or drawn into wires (ductile), and
usually conduct electricity and heat well.

Atomic number
The atomic number of an element is the number of protons in the nucleus of an
atom of that element. “Z” represents atomic number. All atoms of an element
have the same number of protons, e.g. for hydrogen with one proton, Z = 1 written
as 1 H. All carbon atoms have 6 protons so Z = 6 written as 6 C.

Mass number
The mass number of an element is the number of protons plus the number of
neutrons in the nucleus of an atom of that element. “A” represents mass number.
E.g. for hydrogen with no neutrons, A = 1 + 0 = 1 written as 1 H. A carbon atom with
6 neutrons would have A = 6 + 6 = 12 written as 12 C.

Atomic and mass number information is written together as 11 H and 12

6 C.

Atomic size
Atoms are extremely small – so small that they cannot be seen even with a standard
light microscope. The diameter of an atom is about one one-hundredth-millionth of
centimetre (0.000 000 01 cm). If an atom
had the same diameter as the length of a 100m pool then the nucleus would be
about the size of a 1cm marble. A rectangle one centimetre long and one millimetre
wide ( ) would contain one thousand million million (1 000 000 000 000 000
atoms.