Pakistan International School [English Section] Jeddah

Chemistry - Board Notes

Chapter 13

The Periodic table

o Elements are arranged on the periodic table in order of increasing atomic number.

o The table is arranged in vertical columns called groups and in rows called periods.

The period number

o Periods are the horizontal rows that show the number of shells of electrons an atom has and are
numbered from 1 - 7

o Elements in Period 2 have two electron shells, elements in Period 3 have three electron shells and
so on.

The group number

o Groups are the vertical columns that show how many outer electrons each atom has.

o They are numbered from 1-7 with a final group called Group O (instead of Group 8).

o Group 4 elements have atoms with 4 electrons in the outermost shell, Group 6 elements have
atoms with 6 electrons in the outermost shell and so on.

o The group number can help determine the charge that metal and non-metal ions form.

For metals, the group number corresponds to the number of electrons it will lose to achieve a full
outer shell and the charge of the metal ion.

o Sodium is in Group 1, it will lose l electron and form an ion with a 1+ charge

o Magnesium is in Group 2, it will lose 2 electrons and form an ion with a 2+ charge

For non-metals in Group 7 and 6, they will gain an electron respectively to gain a full outer shell.

o E.g. non-metals in Group 7 gain l electron to form ions with a 1- charge

o Non-metals in Group 6 gain 2 electrons to form ions with a 2- charge

The group number is always labelled on the periodic table, but the period number isn't.

(Students always skip period 1) Don't forget that hydrogen and helium are in Period 1.

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 The metallic character of elements
The metallic character of the elements decreases as you move across a period on the Periodic Table,
from left to right, and it increases as you move down a Group.

o This trend occurs due to atoms more readily accepting electrons to fill their outer shells rather
than losing them to have the previous, already full, electron shell as their outer shell.

o Metals occur on the left-hand side of the Periodic Table and non-metals on the right-hand side.

Periodic trends & electronic Configuration

o The electronic configuration is the arrangement of electrons into shells for an atom

o E.g. the electronic configuration of carbon is 2,4

o There is a link between the electronic configuration of the elements and their position on the
Periodic Table

o The number of notations in the electronic configuration will show the number of occupied shells
of electrons the atom has, showing the period

o The last notation shows the number of outer electrons the atom has, showing the group number

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o Elements in the same group in the Periodic Table have similar chemical properties.

o When atoms collide and react, it is the outermost electrons that interact.

o The similarity in their chemical properties stems from having the same number of electrons in
their outer shell.

o For example, both lithium and sodium are in Group I and can react with elements in Group 7 to
form an ionic compound by reacting in a similar manner.

Lithium's electronic configuration: 2,1

Sodium's electronic configuration: 2,8,1

Potassium's electronic configuration: 2,8,8,1

Predicting properties
o Because there are patterns in the way the elements are arranged on the Periodic Table, there are
also patterns and trends in the chemical behaviour of the elements and their physical properties.

o These trends in properties occur down groups and across the periods of the Periodic Table.

o As a result, we can use the Periodic Table to predict properties such as:

1. boiling point

2. melting point

3. density

4. reactivity

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Trend: As the reactivity of alkali metals increases down the group, rubidium, caesium and
francium will react more vigorously with air and water than lithium, sodium and potassium.

o Lithium will be the least reactive metal in the group at the top, and francium will be the most
reactive at the bottom

o Francium is rare and radioactive so is difficult to confirm predictions

Group I properties & trends

Chemical properties of the Group I metals

o They react readily with oxygen and water vapour in air so they are stored under oil to stop them
from reacting

o Group l metals will react similarly with water, reacting vigorously to produce an alkaline metal
hydroxide solution and hydrogen gas

o The Group 1 metals get more reactive as you look down the group, so only the first three metals
are allowed in schools for demonstrations.

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 Predicting the Properties of Group | Elements
Knowing the reactions of elements at the top of the group allows you to predict the properties of other
elements further down Group 1.

Properties of other Alkali Metals (Rubidium, Caesium and Francium)

o As the reactivity of alkali metals increases down the group, rubidium, caesium and francium will
react more vigorously with air and water than lithium, sodium and potassium

o Lithium will be the least reactive metal in the group at the top, and francium will be the most
reactive at the bottom

o Francium is rare and radioactive so is difficult to confirm predictions

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 Group VII properties & trends
Reactivity of Group 7 non-metals

➢ Reactivity of Group 7 non-metals increases as you go up the group (this is the opposite trend to
that of Group l).
➢ Each outer shell contains seven electrons and when the halogen reacts, it will need to gain one
outer electron to get a full outer shell of electrons.
➢ As you go up Group 7, the number of shells of electrons decreases (period number decreases
moving up the Periodic Table)
➢ This means that the outer electrons are closer to the nucleus so there are stronger electrostatic
forces of attraction, which help to attract the extra electron needed
➢ This allows an electron to be attracted more readily, so the higher up the element is in Group 7
then the more reactive it is.

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Properties of the halogens
o At room temperature (20 °C), the physical state of the halogens changes as you go down the
group.

o Chlorine is a pale yellow-green gas, bromine is a red-brown liquid and iodine is a grey-black solid.

o This demonstrates that the density of the halogens increases as you go down the group:

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 Group VII ‘DISPLACEMENT REACTION’

HALOGEN DISPLACEMENT REACTION:

o A halogen displacement reaction occurs when a more reactive halogen displaces a less reactive
halogen from an aqueous solution of its halide

o The reactivity of Group 7 non-metals increases as you move up the group

o Out of the three commonly used halogens, chlorine, bromine and iodine, chlorine is the most
reactive and iodine is the least reactive.

Chlorine and bromine

o If you add chlorine solution to colourless potassium bromide solution, the solution becomes
orange as bromine is formed.

o Chlorine is above bromine in Group 7 so is more reactive

o Chlorine will therefore displace bromine from an aqueous solution of the metal bromide

o The least reactive halogen always ends up in the elemental form

Word equation: potassium bromide + chlorine → potassium chloride + bromine

Symbolic equation: 2KBr (aq) + Cl2 (aq) → 2KCI (aq) + Br2 (aq)

Bromine and iodine

o Bromine is above iodine in Group 7 so is more reactive

o Bromine will therefore displace iodine from an aqueous solution of metal iodide

o The solution will turn brown as iodine is formed.

Word equation: magnesium iodide + bromine → magnesium bromide + iodine

Symbolic equation: MgI2(aq) + Br2 (aq) → MgBr2 (aq) + I2 (aq)

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Double displacement Reaction:

When aq. Silver nitrate is added to aq. Sodium chloride, a white precipitate of silver chloride is formed.

silver nitrate + sodium chloride → silver chloride + sodium nitrate

AgNO3 (aq) + NaCl (aq) → AgCl (s) + NaNO3 (aq)

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SAMPLE QUESTION 1:

SAMPLE QUESTION 2:

IMPORTANT:
Iodine solid, solution and vapours are different colours.

Solid iodine is dark grey-black, iodine vapours is purple and aqueous iodine is brown.

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 TRANSITION ELEMENTS / TRANSITION METALS (GROUP III B)

NOTE: Although scandium and zinc are in the transition element area of the Periodic Table, they are

not considered transition elements as they do not form coloured compounds and have only one

oxidation state.

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SAMPLE QUESTION 1:

NOBLE GASES
PROPERTIES AND ELECTRONIC CONFIGURATION

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Introduction:

The noble gases are in Group 8 (or Group 0);

• They are non-metals.

• They have very low melting and boiling points.
• They are all monoatomic, colourless gases.
• The Group O elements all have full outer shells hence the electronic configuration is extremely
stable, so these elements are unreactive and are inert.

Electronic configurations of the noble gases:

He: 2 (Duplet is complete)

Ne: 2,8

Ar: 2,8,8

K: 2,8,18,8

Xe: 2,8,18,18,8

***Note: Term is ‘octet’ is used for all noble gases other than helium.

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