Introduction to Periodic Table
The first 20 elements of the periodic table provide a good overview of the different element groupings. The first 20 elements are commonly encountered in chemical reactions. Metals found in the first twenty elements include lithium, beryllium, sodium, magnesium, aluminum, potassium, and calcium. Non-metals found in the first twenty elements are hydrogen, helium, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine, neon, phosphorus, sulfur, chlorine, and argon.
What are Elements?
An element is a pure material composed of only one type of atom. Elements cannot be physically or chemically separated into two or simpler things. There are now 118 elements that have been identified. The first 94 elements are naturally occurring, whereas the last 24 are man-made elements. IUPAC has assigned distinct symbols to each element to symbolize it. For example, hydrogen is represented by H, oxygen by O, and so on. The number of protons in each element's atomic nucleus determines its identity. A new element can be created by adding more protons to an atom.
Read more about the Displacement Reaction Definition, F Block in Periodic Table, Nitride, and SI Unit of Displacement.
Importance and Uses of the first 20 elements in the periodic table
The first 20 elements of the periodic table are seen to be the most important and have a wide range of uses in daily life. The significance of some of the first 20 components is listed below-
- Aluminum (Al): It is pliable and soft, aluminum is used to make a variety of things such as kitchenware, airplane components, window frames, and so on.
- Calcium (Ca): Calcium aids in bone strength maintenance.
- Carbon (C): It accounts for 18% of the human body. Carbon may be found in protein, sugar, and other important molecules like glucose. Carbon may also be found in fossil fuels such as petroleum, CNG, and others.
- Oxygen (O): Oxygen is required for breathing. The energy-producing process that governs the metabolisms of most living species is respiration. Humans, like many other living things, require oxygen to breathe. Oxygen is produced during the photosynthesis process in plants and other microbes.
- Phosphorus (P): In the military, phosphorus is utilized to produce weaponry (white phosphorus). Phosphorus is a component of ATP, our body's energy currency.
- Silicon (Si): It is a semiconductor that is utilized in computer chips.
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Importance of Atomic Numbers in a Periodic Table
Before delving into the significance of an atomic number of elements, consider the following definitions-
- Atomic number: The number of protons in the nucleus is indicated by the atomic number. For example, oxygen has an atomic number of 8. The atomic number of oxygen is 8. This suggests that the number of protons in the nucleus in the neutral state is 8. The total number of electrons is eight. Similarly, the nucleus of a sodium atom, which has an atomic number of 11, is made up of 11 protons. The nucleus is surrounded by 11 electrons. Because the atomic number equals the number of electrons, we may because the atomic number equals the number of electrons, we can readily estimate the atom's electrical configuration just by knowing its atomic number.
- Electrons: They are also subatomic particles. Electrons gravitate toward the nucleus, have a negative charge, and are smaller in size than the nucleus. Electrons have the same charge as protons, but with a minus sign. The mass of an electron is around 1/1836 that of a proton.
- Neutrons: They are also subatomic particles. Neutrons are neutrally charged. A neutron weighs somewhat more than a proton. The nucleus of the atom is made up of neutrons and protons.
- Protons: They are subatomic particles that exist within an atom. It is positively charged. It is found in the nucleus of an element's atom.
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Description of 20 Elements in Periodic Table
The following is the list of each described element of the periodic table including their appearance, state of matter under normal temperature, atomic number, symbol, atomic mass, electron configuration, and element group-
Description of Element | Symbol | Atomic Number | Atomic Mass | Electron Configuration | Element Group |
Hydrogen: Under normal conditions, it is a non-metallic, colorless gas that transforms into an alkali metal. This element has three isotopes, which differ in the number of neutrons in their atoms. | H | 1 | 1.008 | 1s¹ | group 1, s-block, nonmetal |
Helium: Helium is a colorless, light gas. | He | 2 | 4.002602(2) | 1s² | group 18, s-block, noble gas |
Lithium: Lithium is a solid silver reactive metal. | Li | 3 | 6.94 (6.938–6.997) | [He] 2s¹ | group 1, s-block, alkali metal |
Beryllium: Beryllium is a solid gray-white metal with a gleaming finish. | Be | 4 | 9.0121831(5) | [He] 2s² | group 2, s-block, alkaline earth metal |
Boron: Boron is a metallic-looking grey solid. | B | 5 | 10.81 (10.806–10.821) | [He] 2s² 2p¹ | group 13, p-block, metalloid |
Carbon: Carbon is a solid that exists in a variety of forms, including diamond, graphite, and amorphous carbon. It comes in black, grey, or colorless varieties. | C | 6 | 12.011 (12.0096–12.0116) | [He] 2s² 2p² | group 14, p-block, usually a non-metal, although sometimes considered a metalloid. |
Nitrogen: Nitrogen is an odorless and colorless gas. | N | 7 | 14.007 | [He] 2s² 2p³ | group 15 (pnictogens), p-block, nonmetal |
Oxygen: The gas oxygen is colorless. Its liquid form is blue, whereas its solid form might be crimson, metallic, or black. | O | 8 | 15.999 or 16.00 | [He] 2s² 2p⁴ | group 16 (chalcogens), p-block, nonmetal |
Fluorine: Fluorine is a light yellow gas, a bright yellow liquid, and a brilliant yellow solid. | F | 9 | 18.998403163(6) | [He] 2s² 2p⁵ | group 17, p-block, halogen |
Neon:When excited in an electric field, neon is a colorless gas that generates an orange-red light. | Ne | 10 | 20.1797(6) | [He] 2s² 2p⁶ | group 18, p-block, noble gas |
Sodium: Sodium is a silvery-white, soft metal. | Na | 11 | 22.98976928(2) | [Ne] 3s¹ | group 1, s-block, alkali metal |
Magnesium: Magnesium is a solid, gleaming grey metal. | Mg | 12 | 24.305 | [Ne] 3s² | group 2, s-block, alkaline earth metal |
Aluminum: Aluminum is a soft, silver-colored metal that is nonmagnetic. | Al | 13 | 26.9815385(7) | [Ne] 3s² 3p¹ | group 13, p-block, is considered a post-transition metal or sometimes a metalloid |
Silicon: Silicon is a crystalline solid with a metallic sheen that is hard and blue-gray in color. | Si | 14 | 28.085 | [Ne] 3s² 3p¹ | group 14 (carbon group), p-block, metalloid |
Phosphorus: Under normal settings, phosphorus is a solid; however, however it may assume numerous forms. White phosphorus and red phosphorus are the most frequent. | P | 15 | 30.973761998(5) | [Ne] 3s² 3p³ | group 15 (pnictogens), p-block, usually considered a nonmetal, but sometimes a metalloid |
Sulphur: Sulphur is a yellow solid that is most commonly encountered as a crystal or powder. | S | 16 | 32.06 | [Ne] 3s² 3p⁴ | group 16 (chalcogens), p-block, nonmetal |
Chlorine: Under normal circumstances, chlorine is a light yellow-green gas. It is a brilliant yellow liquid. | Cl | 17 | 35.45 | [Ne] 3s² 3p⁵ | group 17, p-block, halogen |
Argon: Argon is a colorless liquid, gas, and solid. Under normal circumstances, it is a gas. When stimulated in an electric field, it displays a beautiful lilac-purple light. | Ar | 18 | 39.948(1) | [Ne] 3s² 3p⁶ | group 18, p-block, noble gas |
Potassium: Potassium is a silvery, reactive solid metal. | K | 19 | 39.0983(1) | [Ar] 4s¹ | group 1, s-block, alkali metal |
Calcium: Calcium is a silvery-gray solid metal with a little yellowish tinge. | Ca | 20 | 40.078(4) | [Ar] 4s² | group 2, s-block, alkaline earth metal |
Read more about the Electronic Configuration of First 30 Elements and F Orbital Shape.
First 20 Elements with Noble Gases
Noble gases, often known as inert gases, are the elements that are the least reactive or most non-reactive. Noble gases were found later in history than other elements. The first 20 elements contain three noble gases, namely,
- Helium (He) has an atomic number of 2.
- Neon (Ne) has an atomic number of 10.
- Argon (Ar) has an atomic number of 18.
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Properties of Elements
The name of an element might provide information about its properties-
- Elements with names that finish in -gen are nonmetals that exist as pure gases at ambient temperature.
- Elements with names that finish in -ine belongs to a class of elements known as halogens. Halogens are very reactive and easily combine to produce compounds.
- Noble gases are inert or nonreactive gases at normal temperatures, and their names finish in -on.
- The majority of element names end with -ium. These are metals, which are often hard, lustrous, and conductive.
Read more about the Electropositive Elements and Variable Valency.
Mnemonics or Short Forms to Learn the Periodic Table
The following are the two ways to remember the first 20 elements of the periodic table-
- Happy Henry Lives Beside Boron Cottage, Near Our Friend Nelly Nancy Mg Allen. Silly Patrick Stays Close. Arthur Kisses Carrie.
- Here He Lies Beneath Bed Clothes, Nothing On, Feeling Nervous, Naughty Margret Always Sighs, ” Please Stop Clowning Around.