Doc Brown's Chemistry

Advanced Level Inorganic Chemistry Periodic Table Revision Notes

Part 11 Periodic Table selected DATA: of Groups & Series of Elements

INORGANIC Part 11 Data page sub-index for this page

11.1 Notes about the data

11.2 Periodicity Plots

11.3 Group 1 Alkali Metals

11.4 Group 2 Alkaline Earth Metals

11.5 Transition Metals - 3d block [head elements of groups (3) to (13)]

11.6 Group 3 (13)

11.7 Group 4 (14)

11.8 Group 5 (15)

11.9 Group 6 (16)

11.10 Group 7 (17) Halogens

11.11 Group 0 (18) Noble Gases

11.12 Full Periodic Table

11.13 Periods 1 to 4 Data Tables

11.14 Alphabetical Element name list with symbol and atomic number Z

11.15 The full modern Period Table

11.1 Some Notes on the Data presented

I cannot offer 100% authenticity on the data, values vary from source to source, but I've done my best to sift the sources!

na means not applicable or not available.

sub means it sublimes (solid ==> gas) on heating.

Allotropes are different physical forms of the same element in the same physical state (examples).

To convert melting/boiling points to Kelvin, add 273 (K = ^oC +273)

To convert density to kgm^-3, multiply by 1000 (kgm^-3 = gcm^-3 x 1000)

IE = ionisation energy, it is the energy required to remove the most loosely bound electron from a gaseous atom or positive ion (it is always endothermic) e.g.

1st IE of helium, He_(g) ==> He⁺_(g) + e^-, H = +2370kJmol^-1 

2nd IE of sodium, Na⁺_(g) ==> Na²⁺_(g) + e^-, H = +4562kJmol^-1 

Atomic or ionic radii are quoted in pm = picometre = 10^-12m,

to convert to nm = nanometre = 10^-9m, divide pm by 1000 (or pm = nm x 1000).

These radii can be considered as the boundary within the electrons spend the majority of their time (sometimes quoted as 95% of all electron charge).

There are some general definitions and rules on radii:

There is much confusion about radii and the diagram below attempts to sort out what the different definitions stated below mean and the following are illustrated in the diagram below these definitions.

atomic radius - general term for the radius of an atom of an element, BUT it should be qualified e.g. is it the radius of an atom in a giant metal lattice? is it the radius of an atom in a covalent molecule? is it an atom in a giant covalent lattice?

Hence the further qualifying definitions below!

atomic covalent radius - the radius of the atom in the context of a covalent bond (the combined covalent radii of two covalently bonded atoms is equal to their bond length). This would tend to be smaller than what would be considered the atomic radius.

atomic metallic radius - the radius of an atom in the giant metal lattice.

Van der Waals atomic radius - the distance between the nuclei of two identical atoms in neighbouring molecules in a covalent crystal lattice. This in a sense is the real volume of space occupied by a molecule.

Ionic radius - the radius of an ion in a giant ionic lattice

Positive ion (cation) radii are always smaller than atomic radii because the same positive nuclear charge is attracting and holding less electrons. The more electrons removed, the smaller the radius becomes. In the case of positive ions with a noble gas configuration a whole layer of shielding is removed on ion formation e.g. Mg [2,8,2] ==> Mg²⁺ [2,8]

Negative ion (anion) radii are always larger than covalent atomic radii but are usually similar to the element's Van der Waal radius.

Electronegativity is the electron attracting power of an atom in a covalent bonding situation (the Pauling scale is used here). The lowest values occur with the most reactive metals with the lowest IE's at the lower left of the periodic table. The highest values occur with the most reactive non-metals with the highest IE's at the upper right of the periodic table.

The electron configurations are quoted twice, (i) by the number of electrons in each principal shell, (ii) using the more advanced modern s, p, d and f sub-shell notation.

The oxidation states quoted, are those most likely to be encountered, but their relative stability is variable and important. In the detailed notes I will point out their relative importance. Detailed notes on oxidation state and redox reaction theory.

The electrode potentials (half-cell E values), apart from groups 1 and 2, usually refer to aqueous systems with a pH of 7 or less. Particularly for transition metals, the half-cell values can significantly change from acid to alkaline media, another data problem!

Electron Affinity is the energy change associated with a gaseous atom or negative ion gaining an electron e.g.

for the electron affinity of chlorine: Cl_(g) + e^- ==> Cl^-_(g), H = -364kJmol^-1 

Bond energy (bond enthalpy) is the energy required to break one mole of a particular bond from a species in its gaseous state (at 298K, 1 atm.). Most values are a typical or average values for gaseous species.

for the hydrogen chloride bond energy: HCl_(g) ==> H^._(g) + Cl^._(g), H = +431kJmol^-1 

Flame colours have been included for some s-block metals as they are used as simple identity tests (the transition metal copper gives a green flame colour, and some blue)

TOP OF PAGE and sub-index

11.2 Three selected PERIODICITY data-graphs of physical properties

These graphs have been added covering Periods 1-6 and the start of Period 7 to help in the study of 'Periodicity'. They present data tables and graphs of melting/boiling point, 1st ionisation energy, atomic radius and Pauling electronegativity.

The patterns in physical properties - trends, peaks or troughs in the graphs, are all explained.

Periodicity graphs Elements Z = 1 to 20 covering Periods 1-3 and start of Period 4

Periodicity graphs Elements Z = 1 to 38 covering Periods 1-4 and start of Period 5

Periodicity graphs Elements Z = 1 to 96 covering Periods 1-6 and start of Period 7

₁H   Note: (i) H does not readily fit into any group, (ii) He not strictly a 'p' element but does belong in Gp 0/18

 Gp 2 Alkaline Earth Metals

Gp 7/17 Halogens

Gp 0/18 Noble Gases

Take note of the four points on the right

*Horizontal insert in Period 6 of the Lanthanide Metal Series (Lanthanides/Lanthanoids) Z=57 to 71 includes 4f-block series (58-71).

*Horizontal insert in Period 7 of the Actinide Series of Metals (Actinides/Actinoids) Z=89-103 including the 5f-block series (90-103)

1. Using 0 to denote the Group number of the Noble Gases is historic i.e. when its valency was considered zero since no compounds were known. However, from 1961 stable compounds of xenon have been synthesised exhibiting up to the maximum possible expected valency of 8 e.g. in XeO₄.

2. * ₂₁Sc to ₃₀Zn can be considered as the top elements in the vertical Groups 3 to 12 (marked as *Gp3 to *Gp12).

3. *Therefore Groups 3-7 and 0 can also be numbered as Groups 13 to 18 (marked as *13, *14, *15, *16, *17 and *18) to fit in with the maximum number of vertical columns of elements in periods 4 and 5 (18 elements per period).

4. I'm afraid this can make things confusing, but there it is, classification is still in progress and the notation Group 1 to 18 seems due to become universal.

5. Elements up to Z = 118 have now been synthesised, if only a few atoms have been identified !