The Periodic Table

   Here's Johnny! No, just kidding, it's still me. This post is going to be about the periodic table, which really isn't a table, but a chart. This is a chart of all the chemical elements that occur in the universe, and they are organized according to the property of their atoms. The periodic table was created by a Russian chemist and inventor named Dmitri Mendeleev. He made a table very similar to our modern table, and he left spaces for undiscovered elements on the table.

The Periodic Table of Elements 


    Now, let's back-track for a moment and talk about atoms again, but a bit more in depth. They are the smallest units of an element, and they have a nucleus made of protons and neutrons. Many electrons orbit this part of the atom in different shells, also called orbitals, and it is the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in the elements atoms that determines what properties it will have. These three particles are part of what make each element different from the other.

Iodine Atom

   The elements on the periodic table are listed by their atomic number, or the number of protons found in their atomic nuclei.When you read across the periodic table, you will see that all of the elements are organized by their atomic number. The rows of the table are called periods, and they describe the number of electron shells elements have. If you read across a period, the outer shell of the element begins to fill with electrons, and when you reach the other side, the outer shell is already full. Did you know that the sixth and seventh periods had to be moved to the bottom because they contained so many elements?! Next, we have groups, which are the vertical columns on the periodic table numbered from one to eighteen.










   The order of the electrons in the atom's outer shell is also important, and it will determine what other elements it can bond, or connect, with. Also, the periodic table is categorized by color, which are determined by the properties of the elements.
   The first category is alkali metals, such as sodium, which can all react with water to make alkaline solutions(think salt water).
   Next comes alkaline-earth metals, like radium, have the ability to produce alkaline solutions when they are mixed with water. They can be found all over the place on Earth.
   Thirdly are transition metals, an example being iron, are shiny and very strong.
   The fourth category is poor metals, like mercury or tin, are soft, and have low melting points.
   The fifth is semimetals, such as boron, are capable of conducting electricity, but only under certain conditions, and are good for electronics.
   Next is nonmetals, which have a multitude of properties. A few examples of these are nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon, which are vital to life.
   The last category is noble gases, such as neon and helium, which have full outer electron shells, and they don't normally react with other elements.

   Well, I hope this post was helpful for everybody! I'll see you next time!

Little Known Fact:
   There are only 92 elements that occur naturally. Anything above that must be made in a lab, because it is too unstable to occur in nature.
Also...:
   Check out this video I found!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGM-wSKFBpo