U2S7 Metals and the Periodic Table

Vocabulary flashcards covering key metal properties, periodic table organization, and reactivity trends from the notes.

Lustrous

A shiny appearance; a characteristic commonly associated with metals.

Thermal conductivity

The ability of a material to conduct heat; metals typically have high thermal conductivity.

Ductile

Able to be drawn into long, thin shapes without breaking.

Opaque

Not allowing light to pass through.

Malleable

Able to be shaped or hammered into different forms without breaking.

Electrical conductivity

The ability of a material to conduct an electric current.

Metals

A group of elements with properties such as malleability, ductility, luster, and good conductors of heat and electricity.

Properties

Characteristics or traits used to describe materials, such as metals.

Location

The position of metals in the periodic table (generally left and middle areas, including groups 1–2 and transition metals).

Reactivity

The tendency of a substance to undergo chemical change; for metals, this changes across periods and groups in the periodic table.

Periodic table

A chart that organizes elements by increasing atomic number into groups and periods; metals are located in specific groups.

Group

A column in the periodic table; elements in a group have similar chemical properties and similar valence electron counts.

Period

A row in the periodic table; elements in a period have the same number of electron shells.

Atomic number

The number of protons in an atom; it increases from left to right across a period.

Electron shells

Energy levels around the nucleus where electrons reside; elements in the same period have the same number of shells.

Valence electrons

Electrons in the outermost shell involved in bonding; their number influences reactivity (e.g., 1 in Group 1, 2 in Group 2).

Alkali metals

Group 1 metals; highly reactive, have 1 valence electron, are soft and shiny (examples: lithium, sodium).

Alkaline earth metals

Group 2 metals; very shiny, harder and more dense, have 2 valence electrons (examples: magnesium, calcium).

Transition metals

Metals in groups 3–12; begin in period 4; can form more than one kind of ion; often form colorful compounds and are less reactive than groups 1 and 2.

Ion

A charged particle formed when an atom loses or gains electrons (e.g., metals tending to form positive ions).

Colorful compounds

Compounds of transition metals that are vividly colored due to the metal’s electron structure (e.g., copper sulfate, cobalt chloride).

Potassium dichromate

An example of a colorful transition-metal compound (potassium salt used to illustrate colorful ion-containing substances).