Periodic Properties | Semester 1, Unit 3

LAB 3:
PERIODIC PROPERTIES
WITH EXTENSION
NOTE TO STUDENTS: This is a dry lab. You are only expected to perform the portions of this lab that do not require
you to use laboratory equipment or supplies. When appropriate, sample data may be supplied in the lab’s data tables to
help you answer the questions.

Goals groups have different similarities.

1. Introduce the concept of element groups

2. Show how elements in their groups

are similar to one another and
explain why

Materials and Equipment

Slide of elements:
Carbon
Germanium
Silicon
Tin
Digital voltmeter
Goggles
Periodic table

Materials Not Included

Hot water
Ice
Shallow dish

Introduction

The periodic table is periodic, which

means that it repeats. This happens
because atoms fill their outer-shell electron
orbits in an organized way. The outer-shell
electrons are almost entirely responsible for
the chemical properties of the elements.
The columns on the periodic table
contain elements that have identical outer-
shell electrons. These columns are called
element groups. Group I (1A) elements are
comprised of the alkali metals, which are all
very reactive. They form ionic compounds
with many elements that are in the group
16 (6A) and group 17 (7A) columns. Other

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 In this lab, we will study the do move around a bit, so make your
group 14 (4A) elements, which are best estimate. Record the values in
carbon, silicon, germanium, tin, and Table 3.2.
lead. We will omit lead from the
actual hands-on examination. All the
group 14 (4A) elements are
commonly seen in ordinary life.
Elemental carbon
can been seen if you burn your
toast or in the pencil “lead.”
Silicon is the basis for most
electronic microchips in use
today. Germanium is less
common, but it too is used to
make microchips. Tin is used in
most solders. Lead is a solder, as
well as a weight for fishing and
balancing car tires.
Many of the group 14 (4A)
elements are classified as
semiconductors. They are not
insulators, since they can pass
some current, but they are not
conductors since they have a
higher resistance than most metals.
Semiconductors have an electrical
resistance that is sensitive to
temperature. You will investigate
their changing resistance in this
lab.

Procedure

1. Using the periodic table, write

out the electronic structures of
all the group 14 (4A) elements.
Record your answers in Table
3.1.

2. Check the room temperature

resistance of C, Si, Ge, and Sn.
To do this you will put the
multimeter on the resistance
range in the 200 Ohm scale.
Touch
the two probes to different
ends of each sample
provided. Wait until the
resistance reading is relatively
stable and record an
approximate value. The values

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3. Make some ice water and pour it into
a very shallow dish. Place the slide
with the sample elements into the ice
water and wait a minute for them to
cool. Dry the samples and quickly
measure the resistance of each
sample. Again, you will need to wait
for the resistance value to stabilize and
then make your
best estimate of the value. Record your
results in Table 3.2.

4. Repeat the test again, using hot water

in the shallow dish instead of cold
water. You will need to preheat the
dish with hot water to make sure the
water remains as hot as possible.

5. Take a knife or small screwdriver and

attempt to make a very small scratch
on the element samples. If you have
access to a lead wheel weight or a lead
fishing weight, you may examine that
and add the results to the Table. Try
to determine if the samples tend to be
hard and brittle, or soft and ductile. Fill
out Column 3 in Table 3.1.

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Apex Learning: Chemistry Labs Periodic Properties

LAB 3
Questions for Periodic Properties
Table 3.1

Element Electronic Structure Brittle/Ductile/in Between

He 2s^2 2p^2 Brittle but can be hard or strong depending on
Carbon the atomic structure

Ne 3s^2 3p^2
Silicon Brittle

Ar 3d^10 4s^2 4p^2

Germanium Brittle

Kr 4d^10 5s^2 5p^2

Tin Ductile, but hardens rapidly

Xe 4f^14 5d^10 6s^2 6p^2

Lead Very ductile

Table 3.2
Resistance, Resistance, Resistance,
Element
in Ice Water Room Temperature in Hot Water

Carbon Higher 1 kΩ Lower

Silicon Higher 192 kΩ Lower

Germanium Higher 46 kΩ Lower

Low, but likely not to change Low, but not likely to change Low, but likely not to change
Tin much with temperature change much with temperature change much with temperature change

1. In what ways are the electronic structures of the group 14 (4A) elements similar? In
what ways are they different?

The electron structures of the group 14 4A elements are similar in that they
are all part of the carbon group which means they have 4 electrons. There
properties are different.

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Apex Learning: Chemistry Labs

2. Compare the room temperate resistances for all the samples. Are they similar or different?

The room temperature resistance should be much less for tin and lead. They behave like
metals, and so have lower resistance.

3. How does resistance change with temperature? Is there more resistance or less
resistance at higher temperatures? Compare the change in resistance for all the samples.

When the average set of room temperature was tested for ice water and hot
water, the resistance was high in ice water and low in hot water. The standard
resistance at room temperature went higher then lower from 1 to 192 to 46 but
still the resistance was always higher than the standard in ice and always lower
in heat

4. Are the samples soft and ductile or hard and brittle? Are some in between?

For the most part they are in between as each element has its own unique
reaction. Carbon was brittle but could be hard. Silicon and Germanium are
brittle and tin is ductile but it can also harden very quickly making it a in
between and lead was ductile.

5. What do you think causes the difference between the elements on the top of the
periodic table, like carbon, with those on the bottom of the periodic table, like tin or
lead?

The different between the elements on the top of the periodic table and the ones on
the the bottom of the periodic table is as you go to the bottom the first ionization
energy decreases, atomic radius increases, and the electronegativity decreases. All

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of this impacts the way the element functions

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