Meet the Elements

Meet the Elements

Due Today: Nothing
Homework: Metal, non-metal, metalloid lab, Atomic structure worksheet, Isotope Chemthink.

Today in class we met the elements! First we watched a nifty music video: "Meet the elements" to introduce us to the topic. Next we were introduced to the elements in our Metal/Non-metal/Metalloid lab. A: Aluminum B: Carbon C: Silicon D: Tin E: Sulfur F: Magnesium G: Zinc H: Iron. We identified  the elements as metals or non-metals by their appearance and luster, as well as malleability. Then we moved on tho the elements arranged in the periodic table, as introduced by Dmitri Mendeleev.

 We learned about the major groups in the periodic table. Alkali Metals (the group on the far left, not including Hydrogen), Alkaline Earth Metals (second to the left), Transition Metals (the middle groups that aren't in periods 1, 2, or 3), The Halogen Family (second to the right), the Noble Gases (group farthest to the right), and the Rare Earth Elements (The rows underneath the rest of the table). Next we discussed the three things that make up an atom, Protons (which have a positive charge and are located in the nucleus), Neutrons (which have a neutral charge and are located in the nucleus), and electrons (which have a negative charge and circle the nucleus). 

Finally we discussed Isotopes, which are atoms that have more or less neutrons than they normally do. examples of these include Deuterium, a hydrogen atom with a neutron, and Tritium, a hydrogen atom with two neutrons. For reference, here is the "Meet the Elements" video, which provides a good overview of what we learned in class. 

The next scribe will be Brian F.