Properties of the Periodic

Table Families
Octet Rule

 Atoms tend to gain, lose, or share e- in order

to get a full set of 8 valence e-
 Useful for determining the type of ions likely to
form
 Elements on the right side of the periodic table
tend to gain e-; forming negative ions
 Elements on the left side of the periodic table
tend to lose e- and form positive ions
 Why do elements on the right side gain e – and
elements on the left side lose e-?
 Family 1A
 Alkali metals
 Easily lose a valence e-
and form a ion with a
+1 charge
 Soft enough to cut with
a knife
 Highly reactive – too
reactive to be found
free in nature; good
conductors of heat and
electricity
 Example: NaCl in salt
water
 Family 1A - Lithium
 Lightest alkali metal
 Found in water, soil,
and rocks
 Least reactive of alkali
metals
 Compounds of lithium
found in batteries and
dehumidifiers
 Used to strengthen
glass and treat bipolar
disorders
 Hydrogen
 Placed in 1A because it
has 1 valence e-
 H shares many
properties with
nonmetals and metals
 Highly reactive
 http://www.open2.net/s
ciencetechnologynature
/worldaroundus/akalime
tals.html
 Group 2A – Alkaline Earth Metals
 Form compounds with
oxygen called “oxides”
 Shiny solids that are
harder than alkali
metals
 Lose 2 valence e- to
form ions with a 2+
charge
 Calcium
 Found widely in nature-
rocks, coral reefs
 Needed to maintain
healthy teeth and
bones
 Decomposition of
calcium carbonate
forms lime – used to
manufacture steel,
paper, and glass.
 Magnesium
 Abundant
 Can be formed into any
shape
 Alloys are strong and
lightweight
 Group 3A – The Boron Family
 Found in nature
combined with other
elements
 B, Al, Ga lose 3 e- to
form ions with a +3
charge
 Thallium loses only the
p valence e- to form
ions with a 1+ charge
 Boron
 Borax comes from
California’s Mojave
Desert
 Cleaning agent and
fireproof insulation
 Boric acid used as
disinfectant and
eyewash
 Boron nitride – 2nd
hardest known material
 Super abrasives
 Aluminum
 Most abundant metal in
earth’s crust
 Recycling aluminum is
energy efficient
compared to extracting
it from its ore
 Widely used – alum in
antiperspirants and
aluminum oxide in
many gems
Group 4A – The Carbon Group
 Carbon
 Can form many
different compounds
 Diamonds are hard,
graphite is soft –
allotrope
 C atoms in graphite
share e- with other C
atoms to form layers
that slide
 C atoms share e- with
other C atoms in
diamonds to form a 3-D
solid
 Silicon
 Computer chips and
solar cells
 Can be found in quartz
crystal, sand, and glass
Family 5A – The Nitrogen Group
 Nitrogen
 Abundant in the
atmosphere
 Proteins contain N
 Bacteria in soil convert
N from the atmosphere
to nitrogen compounds
that are easier to use
by organisms
 Ammonia – colorless
gas, irritating odor
 Phosphorus
 Phosphate compounds
can be found in
cheese, laxatives,
baking powders, flame-
retardant fabric, grease
remover in cleaning
products
 Essential for plant
growth (fertilizers) –
can be harmful to the
environment
 Bismuth
 A compound of
Bismuth is an active
ingredient in a remedy
for nausea and
diarrhea
Group 6A – The Oxygen Group
 Oxygen
 6 valence e-; tend to
gain two e- to form ions
with a 2- charge; can
also share 2e-
 Ozone - unstable gas
 Most abundant element
in Earth’s crust
 Forms compounds with
every element except
He, Ne, and Ar
 Sulfur
 Used to make acids to
be used in fertilizers,
steel, paper, and paints
 Hydrogen sulfide used
as an energy source in
the ocean
 Hydrogen sulfide
released from
volcanoes
 Tarnish silver
 Selenium
 Supplements
 Found in eggs, fish,
and grains.
 Works with vitamin E to
prevent cell damage
 Used in solar cells -
converts light into
electricity
 Locoweed – toxic levels
to grazing animals
 copiers
Group 7A – The Halogens
 Fluorine
 Form compounds with
almost all metals
 Form ions with a 1-
charge
 Added to toothpaste
and drinking water to
protect tooth enamel
from decay
 Nonstick coating for
cookware
 Chlorine
 Highly reactive
 Deadly gas
 Compounds of chlorine
are used as bleaching
agents, stain removal
 Cl compounds are used
by dentists and
hydrochloric acid is
used to digest food,
rust removal, plastic
production
 Iodine
 Body needs iodine to
maintain a healthy
thyroid gland
 Seafood and iodized
salt are excellent
sources of iodine
 Kills bacteria – used by
campers to disinfect
water
Group 8A – Noble Gases
 Helium
 odorless and
unreactive
 Stable
 Sun
 Lightest noble gas
 Used in blimps,
airships, and balloons
 Neon
 Light displays
 High-voltage electricity
passes through the
neon gas stored in a
gas discharge tube, e-
in the atoms become
excited
 E- return to a lower
energy state and emit
bright light