Periodic table block elements

Figure 7. In the conventional medium-long form of the periodic table, the elements axe shown with the 4-block (pink) between the s-block (blue) and the p-block (lavender), to reflect the order of subshell tilting shown in figure 10 and contrary to the order expected from figure 6.

B.21 Identify the periodic table block to which each of the following elements belongs (a) zirconium (b) As (c) Ta ... 

As can be inferred from their position in the Periodic Table, these elements pertain to the /7-block. The first of them (boron) is just above the Zintl line the others... 

O O Identify the group number, period number, and orbital block of the periodic table for elements whose atoms have the following electron configurations. 

Figure 6.6 summarizes different blocks, families, and areas of the periodic table. Most elements can be classified as metals. Metals are solid at room temperature, are good conductors of heat and electricity, and form positive ions. Moving across the table from left to right elements lose their metallic characteristics. The metalloids, also known as the semi-metals, have properties intermediate between metals and nonmetals. Because they display characteristics of both conductors and nonconductors, elements such as silicon and germanium find wide use in the semi-conductor industry. Non-metals are found on the far right of the periodic table. Nonmetals are poor conductors and are gases at room temperature. 

Table 6.1 gives the variations of the posilive oxidation states of the elements of the s- and p-blocks of the Periodic Table. The elements of the 2nd period, Li-Ne, show the values expected from the strict application of the octet rule. 

Fig. 5.7 The periodic table of elements, showing the modem group numbers, and indicating the type of orbital occupied by the outermost valence electrons in the different blocks.

These numbers explain the shape of the periodic table. Each element has one more electron (and one more proton and perhaps more neutrons) than the one before. At first the lowest energy shell (n = 1) is filled. There is only one orbital, Is, and we can put one or two electrons in it. There are therefore two elements in this block, H and He. Next we must move to the second shell ( = 2), filling 2s first so we start the top of groups 1 and 2 with Li and Be. These occupy the top of the red stack marked s block because all the elements in this block have one or two electrons in their outermost s orbital and no electrons in the outermost p orbital. Then we can start on the 2p orbitals. There are three of these so we can put in six electrons and get six elements B, C, N, O, F, and Ne. They occupy the top row of the black p block. Most of the elements we need in this book are in those blocks. Some, Na, K, and Mg for example, are in the s block and others, Si, P, and S for example, are in the second row of the p block. 

The f-block elements comprise two series of inner transition elements which appear, firstly after lanthanum and secondly after actinium, in the Periodic Table. The elements from cerium to lutetium are known as the lanthanides and, because of its chemical similarity to these elements, lanthanum is usually included with them. Scandium and yttrium also show strong chemical similarities to the lanthanides, so that the chemistry of these elements is also often considered in conjunction with that of the lanthanide series. The second series of f-block elements, from thorium to lawrencium, is known as the actinide series and again it is usual to consider actinium together with this series. 

Given each of the following valence electron configurations, determine which block of the periodic table the element is in. 

It is often useful to refer to whole blocks of elements on the periodic table. The elements in groups 1, 2, and 13 through 18 (the A groups) are sometimes called the representative elements. They are also called the main-group elements. The elements in groups 3 through 12 (the B groups) are often called the transition metals. The 28 elements at the bottom of the table are called inner transition metals. 

The so-called rare earth elements, which are all metals, usually are displayed in a separate block of their own located below the rest of the periodic table. The elements in the first row of rare earths are called lanthanides because their properties are extremely similar to the properties of lanthanum. The elements in the second row of rare earths are called actinides because their properties are extremely similar to the properties of actinium. The actinides following uranium are called transuranium elements and are not found in nature but have been produced artificially. 

Iron as a transition element Why is iron a transition metal To understand this we need to look at the periodic table of elements, where iron occupies a central position in the first row of d block elements. The properties of these elements are transitional between the metallic behaviour of the s-block elements and the variable valency of the p-block. But the variable valency of the transition metals is entirely different to that of the p-block elements. Whereas the latter have valencies that increase in steps of... 

Phosphorus, symbol P, atomic number 15, atomic weight 30.974, is a non-metallic p-block element which belongs to Group VA (Group 15) of the periodic table. The elements of this group, namely, nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony and bismuth, are sometimes known as pnicogens,... 

Using the data in the table scientists, students, and others that are familiar with the periodic table can extract infomiation conceming individual elements. For instance, a scientist can use carbon s atomic mass mass to detemiine how many carbon atoms there are in a 1 kilogram block of carbon. 

Chem3D uses a MM2 force field that has been extended to cover the full periodic table with the exception of the /block elements. Unknown parameters will be estimated by the program and a message generated to inform the user of this. MM2 can be used for both energy minimization and molecular dynamics calculations. The user can add custom atom types or alter the parameters used... 

FIGURE 1.38 The seven /-orbitals of a shell (with n = 3) have a very complex appearance. Their detailed form will not be used again in this text. However, their existence is important for understanding the periodic table, the presence of the lanthanoids and actinoids, and the properties of the later d-block elements. A darker color denotes a positive lobe, a lighter color a negative lobe. 

This procedure gives the ground-state electron configuration of an atom. Any other arrangement corresponds to an excited state of the atom. Note that we can use the structure of the periodic table to predict the electron configurations of most elements once we realize which orbitals are being filled in each block of the periodic table (see Fig. 1.44). 

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