How to Read the PERIODIC TABLE

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How to Read the PERIODIC TABLE
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The Periodic Table

• An ELEMENT is a substance that cannot be broken
  down into simpler substances by chemical or
  physical means.
• Is made of the same type of atoms.
• Ex. Gold elements are made of gold atoms
• Sometimes called a pure substance
• Each element has their own little box on the
  periodic table with valuable information

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ATOMIC NUMBER Tells you how many protons are in
the nucleus

• SYMBOL Abbreviated version of the elements
  name.
• (This may be ONE CAPITAL LETTER or ONE CAPITAL
  LETTER plus ONE LOWERCASE LETTER)
• Sometimes the symbol matches the first one or two
  letters of the elements name, other times it
  reflects the Latin name for the element

NAME what the element is called.
ATOMIC MASS This is the average mass of the
atoms. It is found by finding the average of all
the isotopes of an element.
Round to get your MASS NUMBER which is your of
protons of neutrons
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information from the periodic table

1. Look at the atomic number in the box. It is two,
   meaning there are 2 protons in the nucleus of a
   Helium atom.
2. Now that we know the number of protons, we can
   say how many electrons we have. Electron number
   usually equals the proton number so there are 2
   electrons.
3. Next look at the atomic mass. Round it to the
   nearest whole number. Write this number in the
   column for MASS NUMBER.
4. Now subtract your atomic number from your mass
   number to get the number of neutrons.

Name Symbol Atomic Mass Mass number Atomic number of protons of electrons of neutron
Helium He 4.0026 4 2 2 2 2
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Try on your own
Name Symbol Atomic Mass Mass number Atomic number of protons of electrons of neutrons
Potassium
5
Ar 18
Gold
19
20
K
39.1
39
19
19
10.8
Boron
B
11
5
5
6
22
40
18
Argon
40
18
79
118
Au
197
197
79
79