Alkali Metals (Dark orange) |
Alkaline Earth Metals (Light orange) |
| Alkali metals make up the 1st column of the periodic table (except for hydrogen). They are all reactive to
water, have 1 extra electron, and are good conducters of electricity. Alkali metals are also not found in nature in their pure
forms. |
Alkaline earth metals are the 2nd column on the table. All of them are silvery metals, have 2 extra electrons,
react with halogens (scroll down some) to make halides, and react with water (except beryllium). |
Transition Metals (Red) |
Post-Transition Metals (Light blue) |
| Transition metals make up columns 3-12. They all are conducters of electricity and can form compounds with
different oxidation states. Some of the elements in column 12 are not transition metals. |
Post-transition metals are sometimes called "poor" metals, make up columns 13-15. They are solid metals under
normal conditions, conducter metals, and are softer than transition metals |
Metalloids (also Light blue) |
Nonmetals (Green) |
| Metalloids are the group of elements that come after post-transition metals. They are usually solids and
appear to be metal, but are very brittle. Metalloids can also form alloys with metals. |
Nonmetals are in between the metalloids and halogens and are sometimes known as "other nonmetals". They are
normally gases and solids (however, when nonmetals are solids they are very brittle) and are not strong enough to be worked with.
|
Halogens (also Green) |
Noble Gases (Dark blue) |
| Halogens are found at the right of the nonmetals. All of them can form acids with hydrogen and combine with
metal to form salts. Halogens are also toxic. |
The noble gases are found next to halogens on the periodic table. All noble gases (except for helium) are
stable, which means they do not for compounds easily. Noble gases are also odorless and colorless, and, as the name states,
gases. |
Lanthanides (Darker pink) |
Actinides (Lighter pink) |
| Lanthanides (elements 57-71) are oftenly called the rare earth metals, and are found at the botton of the
periodic table. They are all silvery-white metals, and oftenly found in the same ores. They are called lanthanides because
they all have similiar properties to lanthanium. Lanthanides all have at least 1 stable isotope (except promethium) and are
reactive with halogens. |
Actinides (elements 89-103) are found under lanthanides and were named after actinium (element 89). The
actinides are mostly man made, and can only be radioactive. Like lanthanides, they can react with halogens. Together,
actinides and lanthanides are oftenly called inner transition metals and located under the main body of the periodic table.
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