Groups in the periodic table

What are the alkali metals?

Lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, caesium and francium.

What are the properties of alkali metals?

• Soft.

• Reactive.

• Malleable.

• Low melting point.

• Conductors of electricity.

What are the columns of the periodic table called?

Groups.

What are the rows of the periodic table called?

Periods.

What do elements in the same group have in common?

The amount of electrons in their outer shells.

What makes an atom more reactive?

How far the electron in its outer shell is from the nucleus; the further it is, the easier it is to lose.

Why are alkali metals stored in oil?

So they don’t react with things.

Why do alkali metals form +1 ions?

They have one electron in their outer shell which they need to lose to become full, meaning their charge becomes positive by 1.

What happens to the elements as you move down the alkali metals?

They become more reactive.

What are the noble gases?

Helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon and radon.

Why are the noble gases called group 0 and group 8 elements?

Because they have 8 electrons in their outer shells, meaning their last non-full shell technically has 0 electrons in.

What happens to the density the further you go down the group?

It increases.

What are the properties of the noble gases?

They’re colourless, and poor conductors of heat and electricity.

What happens to the boiling point the further you go down the group?

It increases.

What happens to the melting point the further you go down the group?

It increases.

What are uses of helium and why?

Weather balloons and airships, because the density is low and it’s non-flammable.

What is a use of neon and why?

Illuminated signs, because it produces a red-orange light when electricity is ran through it.

What is a use of argon and why?

It’s added to the space above wine in wine barrels to prevent the wine from reacting with oxygen, as argon is unreactive.

What is a use of krypton and why?

Photography lighting, because it produces white light when electricity is run through it.

What are uses of xenon?

Specialised light sources, like bacterial lamps and high-speed electronic flash bulbs.

What is a use of radon and why?

Cancer therapy, because it decays into radioactive polonium and alpha particles.

Why would argon be a good use for fire extinguishers?

It displaces oxygen so would help to put out fires.

Why are the noble gases unreactive?

Because they have full outer shells.