Chapter 2 Notes: The Periodic Table & The Electron

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the organization of the periodic table, periodic trends, electron configurations, and introductory quantum mechanics from Chapter 2.

what is the periodic table arranged by?

atomic number.

What are Periods?

The horizontal rows on the periodic table, numbered $1$ through $7$.

What are Families?

The vertical columns on the periodic table (numbered $1$ to $18$); elements within the same family share similar properties because they have the same number of valence electrons.

What are Alkali Metals?

The elements located in Column $1$ that are all extremely reactive metallic solids at room temperature.

What are Alkaline Earth Metals?

The elements located in Column $2$ that are reactive metallic solids at room temperature.

What are Halogens?

The elements located in Column $17$ that are all extremely reactive nonmetals.

What are Noble Gases?

The elements located in Column $18$ that are extremely unreactive nonmetal gases with an electronegativity of zero because their rings are full.

What are Transition Metals?

The elements located in Columns $3$ through $12$ that are solid metals at room temperature.

What are Lanthanides?

Elements $51 \rightarrow 71$ on the periodic table, named after Lanthanum.

What are Actinides?

Elements $89 \rightarrow 103$ on the periodic table, named after Actinium.

Where are Metals located?

Elements found on the left side of the staircase, making up most of the periodic table.

Where are Metalloids located?

Elements positioned directly above and below the staircase that possess some properties of both metals and nonmetals.

Where are Nonmetals located?

Elements located on the right side of the staircase, along with Hydrogen.

What is Atomic Radius?

A trend related to the volume of an atom (larger radius = bigger volume) that increases going down a column and decreases moving from left to right across a row.

What is Ionization Energy?

How much energy is required to remove an electron from an atom; it decreases from top to bottom and increases from left to right across the periodic table.

What is Electronegativity?

A measure of an atom's ability to pull on another atom's electrons; atoms with larger atomic radii have lower electronegativity.

Bohr's Model of the Atom

A model stating that electrons orbit the nucleus in different-sized energy levels (rings).

What is Ground State?

The normal location of electrons when they are as close to the nucleus as possible.

What is the Excited State?

An unstable state reached when electrons absorb extra energy (heat, electricity, or sunlight) and jump to rings farther away from the nucleus, releasing visible light when falling back.

What are Orbitals?

Smaller sections of each sublevel that can each hold up to $2$ electrons.

What are Orbital Diagrams?

Symbolic representations that illustrate where electrons are located within an atom.

What are Electron Configurations?

A symbolic way to communicate where electrons are located in an atom, filling in the order: $1s\text{ }2s\text{ }2p\text{ }3s\text{ }3p\text{ }4s\text{ }3d\text{ }4p\text{ }5s\text{ }4d\text{ }5p\text{ }6s\text{ }4f\text{ }5d\text{ }6p\text{ }7s\text{ }5f\text{ }6d\text{ }7p$.

What is a Valence Shell?

The outermost shell of electrons, which can be determined by identifying an element's row on the periodic table.

What are Valence Electrons?

The outermost electrons residing in the valence shell that determine an element's behavior and how it bonds to other elements.

What are Core Electrons and how do you solve for them?

The inner rings of electrons, calculated by: $\text{Total } e^- - \text{Valence } e^- = \text{Core } e^-$.

What is the Noble Gas Shorthand?

A shorter version of an electron configuration that emphasizes valence electrons by placing the preceding noble gas symbol in brackets.

what is an Ion?

An atom that carries a net electrical charge because it has lost or gained electrons.

What is the Octet Rule?

The principle stating that atoms gain or lose electrons in order to end up with a full valence shell (usually $8$ valence electrons).

What are Cations?

Positively charged ions formed when metal atoms lose electrons.

What are Anions?

Negatively charged ions formed when nonmetal atoms gain electrons.

What is the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle?

The quantum mechanics principle stating that it is fundamentally impossible to know precisely both the velocity and position of a particle at the same time.

What is the Schrödinger Wave Equation?

Mathematical equations showing that electrons do not live in rings, but rather in sublevel clouds such as spherical s sublevels and figure-eight ($\infty$) shaped p sublevels.