THE PERIODIC TABLE:

METALS, NONMETALS, AND METALLOIDS

Using the periodic table, you can classify the elements in many ways. One useful way is by metals,
nonmetals, and metalloids.
Most of the elements on the periodic table are classified as metals.

METALS
In the periodic table, you can see a stair-stepped line starting at Boron (B), atomic number 5, and going
all the way down to Polonium (Po), atomic number 84. Except for Germanium (Ge) and Antimony (Sb),
all the elements to the left of that line can be classified as metals.
● They are solid (with the exception of mercury, Hg, a liquid).
● They are shiny.
● Good conductors of electricity and heat.
● They are ductile (they can be drawn into thin wires).
● They are malleable (they can be easily hammered into very thin sheets).
● All these metals tend to lose electrons easily.
The following figure shows the metals:

NONMETALS
Except for the elements that border the stair-stepped line, the elements
to the right of the line are classified as nonmetals (along with
hydrogen). Nonmetals have properties opposite those of the metals.
● The nonmetals are brittle.
● Not malleable or ductile.
● Poor conductors of both heat and electricity.
● Tend to gain electrons in chemical reactions.
● Some nonmetals are liquids. T
These elements are shown in the following figure.
METALLOIDS
The elements that border the stair-stepped line are classified
as metalloids. The metalloids, or semimetals, have properties that are
somewhat of a cross between metals and nonmetals.
● Metalloids tend to be economically important because of their
unique conductivity properties (they only partially conduct
electricity), which make them valuable in the semiconductor
and computer chip industry.
● The metalloids are shown in the following illustration.

THE PERIODIC TABLE: FAMILIES AND PERIODS

In the periodic table of elements, there are seven horizontal rows of elements called periods. The
vertical columns of elements are called groups, or families.

PERIODS IN THE PERIODIC TABLE

In each period (horizontal row), the atomic numbers increase from left to right. The periods are
numbered from 1 to 7 on the left-hand side of the table.
Elements that are in the same period have chemical properties that are not all that similar.

7
FAMILIES IN THE PERIODIC TABLE
Members of the families (vertical columns) in the periodic table have similar properties. The families
are labeled at the top of the columns in one of two ways:
● The older method uses Roman numerals and letters. Many chemists prefer and still use this
method.
● The newer method uses the numbers 1 through 18.

ELEMENT FAMILIES

● Alkali Metals - Group 1 (IA) - 1 valence electron

● Alkaline Earth Metals - Group 2 (IIA) - 2 valence electrons
● Transition Metals - Groups 3-12 - d and f block metals have 2 valence electrons
● Boron Group or Earth Metals - Group 13 (IIIA) - 3 valence electrons
● Carbon Group or Tetrels - Group 14 (IVA) - 4 valence electrons
● Nitrogen Group or Pnictogens - Group 15 (VA) - 5 valence electrons
● Oxygen Group or Chalcogens - Group 16 (VIA) - 6 valence electrons
● Halogens - Group 17 (VIIA) - 7 valence electrons
● Noble Gases - Group 18 (VIIIA) - 8 valence electrons

E T
a e
r
t
t
h r
M e
e l
t s
a
l
s
ELEMENT BLOCKS

An element block is a set of elements located in adjacent element groups. Element blocks are named
for their characteristic orbital, which is determined by the highest energy electrons:

● s-block: First two groups of the periodic table -- alkali metals and alkaline earths.
● p-block: Last six element groups of the
periodic table, excluding helium. The p-
block elements include all of the
nonmetals except for hydrogen and
helium, the semimetals, and the post-
transition metals.
● d-block: Transition metals of element
groups 3-12.
● f-block: Inner transition elements,
usually the lanthanide and actinide
series, including lanthanum and
actinium.

It is important to know the following:

● The “s” and “p” blocks are also called Representative elements.
● The “d” block is also called Transition elements.
● The “f” block is also called Inner transition elements.

With all this information is possible to find the elements easily or give information for anyone, for
example:

- The copper (Cu) is a metal located in transition elements, in the family #9 and in the
period #4.

- The Selenium (Se) is a nonmetal, located in representative elements, p-block, belong to

the chalcogens in the period #4.
 Atomic number and mass number

The atomic number of an atom is the

number of protons it contains. All the
atoms of a particular element have the
same atomic number (number of
protons). The atoms of different elements
have different numbers of protons. For
example, all oxygen atoms have 8 protons
and all sodium atoms have 11 protons.
The mass number of an atom is the total
number of protons and neutrons it
contains. The mass number of an atom is
never smaller than the atomic number. It
can be the same, but is usually bigger.