They are a family of rare earth metals with one valence electron in the 5d shell. The name lanthanide comes from the first element of that row – lanthanum. Lanthanides are a part of the sixth row and lie within Group 3 of the periodic table. They have low melting and boiling points and are colorless and odorless. Hence, they are the least reactive group on the periodic table, giving them nomenclature inert gases. They have complete outermost shells, resulting in stable electron configurations.
The elements in Group 18 are called noble gases. Hence, they typically exhibit a -1 oxidation state. They are highly electronegative and reactive, requiring one electron to complete their outermost shell. Although it is in Group 1, hydrogen is considered a nonmetal. They exist as gases like oxygen or solids like carbon. They have high electronegativity and ionization energy and are poor conductors of heat and electricity. Nonmetals are on the top right of metalloids, spanning Groups 13 and 16. Metalloids are not as good conductors of electricity as metals, nor are they as ductile as metals. Only six such elements exist, of which three (B, Si, and Ge) are semiconductors. The metalloids display properties in between metals and nonmetals. Their melting points are lower than transition metals. They have some characteristics of transition metals but are soft and conduct more poorly than transition metals. The post-transition metals are located in between transition metals and the metalloids. Aside, they have high melting and boiling points. They have low ionization energy and high conductivity. They have more than one oxidation state, meaning they can have many oxidation numbers. The transition metals lie from Group 3 to Group 12. Physically, they have low density, melting point, and boiling point. They are also good conductors of heat and electricity. They are a strong reducing agent, meaning they can donate electrons quickly.
They have two electrons in their outermost shell and are the second most reactive after alkali metals. The alkaline earth metals are located in Group 2 of the periodic table, from beryllium (Be) to radium (Ra). Physically, alkali metals are shiny and white with low melting and boiling points. The reactivity decreases up the group, making lithium the least reactive element. Francium is the most reactive alkali metal, located in the seventh row. They react with water quickly and must be stored in oil. This is why alkali metals combine with other elements in compounds. They are highly reactive and can burst into flames when exposed to air. These elements have one valence electron. The alkali metals are all elements of Group I except hydrogen. Group Numberĭ and f block metals have two valence electrons Below are the different groups of the periodic table. These electrons are either donated by, accepted from, or shared with other elements during chemical bonding. The elements in each group have the same number of valence electrons and hence, have similar chemical properties determined by the outermost electrons. According to the IUPAC system of naming groups, there are 18 groups, with the group number ranging from 1 to 18. The vertical columns of the periodic table are called groups. As we go down the period, the number of electron shells increases. In the first period, there are two elements, each having only one electron shell. There are seven periods, with the period number ranging from 1 to 7.