Name:

Physical Science Periodic Table Webquest

*use the links to answer the questions
Turn in your worksheet when questions are completed
Links these links to answer use for questions 1-17
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/hawking/cosmostar/html/cstars_mendel.html
www.google.com or www.bing.com
What is the Periodic Table?
1. Why was it necessary to create a periodic table?
2. What two properties are the modern periodic table based upon?
3. What two men were credited with the development of the first periodic tables in late
1860s? Which is considered more prominently?
4. What was the name of the scientist that developed his periodic table according to the
musical scale?
5.How many elements where in the first periodic table?
6. What was Mendeleevs table based upon?
7. When and where was Dmitry Mendeleev born?
8. What is periodic about the periodic table?
9. Mendeleevs table was arranged in rows called _______ and columns called _______.
10. Elements of each ________ had similar properties.
11. Why didnt some elements match perfectly on Mendeleevs table?
12. Why did Mendeleev leave gaps in his periodic table?

13. Were his predictions correct?

14.. What else is Mendeleev given credit to be the first to do?
The Organization of the Periodic Table
1. Why are the elements in specific places on the Periodic Table?
2. Periods are ______ that run from left to right.
3. Elements in the same period have the same ______________.
4. Every element in the first period has _____ shell for its ________. Every element in
the second period has _____ shells for its ______. Is there a pattern? _________
5. Groups are _______ that run from top to bottom.
6. The elements of a group have the same number of _____ in their _____ shell.
7. Every element in group 1 has _____ electron in its outer shell. Every element in
group 2 has _____ electrons in its outer shell. (Notice the coloring on the periodic
table here it skips over the middle the next one that we count as 2 electrons in the
outer shell is the one that is colored yellow. What is the first element in this column?
__________________
8. Hydrogen is special because it can act like two groups, ______ and _____.
9. Hydrogen sometimes is ________ an electron and sometimes it has an ______
electron.
10. Although helium has only _____ electrons in its outer shell, it is grouped with
elements that have _____.

Use these links for Questions 11-19

Before you continue, number the groups 1-18 and periods 1-7 on your printed copy
of the Periodic Table. Color and label the 9 element groups shown on the second
web site. You may use the same color scheme or create your own but make sure

that you have a legend on the bottom of your periodic table to indicate which color
matches which grouping.
http://www.chem4kids.com/files/elem_pertable.html
Interactive periodic table: http://www.chemicalelements.com/show/name.html
http://chemicalelements.com/

11. Click on Alkali Metals in the interactive periodic table and answer the following
questions.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

What is the group number? ______

Are these metals reactive? ______
Do these metals occur freely in nature? ____
How many electrons are in their outer shell? _____
What are the three characteristics of ALL metals?

f. Are these metals soft or hard? __________

g. Name the two most reactive elements in this group? ________ and ________
h. What happens when they are exposed to water? __________
12. Now click on Alkaline Earth Metals in the interactive periodic table and answer these
questions.
a.
b.
c.
d.

What is the group number? ______

Are these metals reactive? ______
Do these metals occur freely in nature? _____
How many electrons are in their outer shell? (Hint: its the same as their
oxidation number or group number.)

13. Now click on Transition Metals in the interactive table and answer these questions.
a.
b.

How many elements are in this group? ______

What are the group numbers? ______ through
______

c.
d.

What are valence electrons? __________

Because the valence electrons are present in
more that one __________ transition metals often exhibit several common
___________________.
e.
Name the three elements in this family that
produce a magnetic field. __________, __________, and ___________.

14. Now click on Other Metals and answer these questions.

a.
b.
c.
d.

How many elements are in this group? ______

What are the group numbers? ______ through ______
How are these other metals similar to the transition metals?
How are these other metals different to the transition metals?
__________________________________________
e. List three physical properties of these other metals.
______________________
f. What are the oxidation numbers for this group? _______
15. Now click on Metalloids to answer these questions.
a. On your periodic table, draw the black stair-step line that distinguishes
metals from nonmetals.
b. Metalloids have properties of both __________ and __________.
c. Define semiconductor. _____________________
d. Name two metalloids that are semi-conductors. __________ and
__________
e. This property makes metalloids useful in __________ and _______
16. answer these questions about the Nonmetals
a. What are the group numbers? __________ through __________
b. List four characteristics of all nonmetals.

c. What two states of matter do nonmetals exist in at room temperature?

_______ and _______
d. The nonmetals have no _______________ and do not _______________.
e. What are the oxidation numbers of the nonmetals?
______________________
17. answer these questions about the halogens.
a. What is the halogen group number? _____
b. Are halogens metals or nonmetals? __________
c. The term halogen means __________ and compounds containing
halogens are called ________.
d. How many electrons are in their outer shell? __________
e. What is their oxidation number? __________
f. What states of matter do halogens exist in at room temperature?
___________

18. Now click on Noble Gases and answer these questions.

a. What is the group number? _____
b. Why were these gases considered to be inert or stable?
_________________
c. What is their oxidation number? _____

19. Now click on Rare Earth Elements and answer these questions.
a.
b.
c.
d.

On your periodic table, label the Lanthanide and Actinide series

How many Rare Earth elements are there? _____
Define trans-uranium. _____________________________
The Rare Earth metals are found in group _____ and periods _____ and
_____.