The Atoms Family Cheat Sheet

by Phoebe Zhang (Phoebe12) via cheatography.com/30133/cs/11924/

Elements, mixtures and compounds Groups Groups (cont)

An element is a pure substance that is made Halogens: Elements in group 13. Contains one metalloid
from a single type of atom. Elements in group 17 and 4 metals. Reactive. Aluminium is in this
group. It is also the most abundant metal in the
Substances which are not chemically bonded
All non-me​tals. Very reactive. Poor conductors
earth’s crust.
are known as mixtures. of heat and electr​icity. Tend to form salts with
Carbon Family:
Substances which are made of more than one metals. Ex. NaCl: sodium chloride also known
type of atom bonded together are known as as “table salt”. The melting and boiling points Elements in group 14. Contains on non-metal,
compounds. increase down the group because of the van two metall​oids, and two metals. Varied
der Waals force. reacti​vity.
Electron arrang​ement Chalco​gens: Nitrogen Family:

1st shell: holds 2 e- Elements in group 16. Contains three Elements in group 15. Contains two non-
nonmetals, one metalloid, and one metal. me​tals, two metall​oids, and one metal. Varied
2nd shell: holds up to 8 e-
Reactive group. reacti​vity.
3rd shell: holds up to 8 e-
Transition Metals: Lantha​nides and Actinides:
Octet Rule: atoms are stable when their outer
Elements in groups 3-12 These are also transition metals that were
electron shell holds 8 electrons.
These metals have a moderate range of taken out and placed at the bottom of the table
There are 2 exceptions to the octet rule.
reactivity and a wide range of proper​ties. In so the table wouldn’t be so wide. The elements
1. The cases in which there are fewer than 8 in each of these two periods share many
general, they are shiny and good conductors of
electrons in the outer shell. proper​ties. The lantha​nides are shiny and
heat and electr​icity. They also have higher
2. The cases in which there are more than 8 densities and melting points than groups 1 & 2. reactive. The actinides are all radioa​ctive and

electrons in the outer shell. are therefore unstable. Elements 95 through

Alkaline Earth Metals:
103 do not exist in nature but have been
Exception: H and He.
Second column on the periodic table. (Group 2) manufa​ctured in the lab.
Lewis Struct​ures: Starting at the right, draw 4
Slightly less reactive than alkali metals. They Noble Family:
electrons, or dots, counte​r-c​loc​kwise around the
are silver colored and more dense than alkali
Unreactive non-me​tals. All are colour​less,
element symbol. metals.
odourless gases at room temper​ature. All found
The valence electrons are the number of Alkali Metals: in earth’s atmosphere in small amounts.
electrons a an outer shell of an atom that can
These metals are extremely reactive and are
partic​ipate in forming chemical bonds with other
never found in nature in their pure form. They Periodic table
atoms.
are silver coloured and shiny. Their density is
Atoms with a relatively empty outer shell will The columns in the Periodic Table are called
extremely low so that they are soft enough to
want to give up electrons. For example, if an Groups (there are 8 groups). The rows in the
be cut with a knife.
atom has 1 electron out of a possible 8 in its Periodic Table are called Periods (there are 7
Hydrogen: periods).
outer shell, it will want to give up that electron
so its outer shell is now full. This element does not match the properties of Elements in the same group have the same
any other group so it stands alone. It is placed number of valence electrons and will form the
Atoms with a relatively full outer shell will want
above group 1 but it is not part of that group. It same kinds of ions.
to gain electrons to fill up the outer shell. For
is a very reactive, colour​less, odourless gas at
example, an atom with 6 of 8 electrons in its The metals are found on the left of the Periodic
room temper​ature.
outer shell will try to gain 2 electrons so its Table. The non-metals are found on the right of
outer shell is full. Boron Family: the Periodic Table. There are more metals than
non-me​tals.

Each element has an atomic number. This

number is the amount of proton​s/e​lec​trons the
atom has (if the atom is not charged).

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 The Atoms Family Cheat Sheet
by Phoebe Zhang (Phoebe12) via cheatography.com/30133/cs/11924/

Periodic table (cont) Nanote​chn​ology Halogens (cont)

It can be found under the symbol for the Nanote​chn​ology is science, engine​ering, and This means that all halogens exist as diatomic
element. technology conducted at the nanoscale, which molecules (consi​sting of two atoms).
is about 1 to 100 nanome​ters.
The mass number is the combined number of
protons and neutrons. The mass number Nanosc​ience and nanote​chn​ology are the Seperating mixtures
subtracted by the atomic number is the amount study and applic​ation of extremely small things
Separation processes: filtra​tion, distil​lation,
of neutrons it has. and can be used across all the other science
centri​fuge, sublim​ation, absorp​tion,
It can be found above the symbol for the fields, such as chemistry, biology, physics,
crysta​lli​sation and chromo​tog​raphy.
materials science, and engine​ering.
element.
To separate liquid solutions where the
Nanosc​ience and nanote​chn​ology involve the
Most gases are colourless with the exception of substances have similar boiling points, a more
ability to see and to control individual atoms
chlorine which is a greeny​-yellow colour. Most complex version of distil​lation is used called
and molecules. Everything on Earth is made up
elements are silver​y-c​oloured metals. There are fractional distil​lation.
of atoms—the food we eat, the clothes we
a few except​ions:
wear, the buildings and houses we live in, and
Carbon is black, sulphur is yellow. Atomic structure
our own bodies.
Copper and gold are orange and yellow
Today's scientists and engineers are finding a Electrons are particles that orbit the nucleus.
coloured metals respec​tively.
wide variety of ways to delibe​rately make They are negatively charged.
Mercury is a liquid.
materials at the nanoscale to take advantage of Electrons orbit (move around) the nucleus in a
Metals, non-metals and metalloids their enhanced properties such as higher circle called an electron shell.
strength, lighter weight, increased control of
The centre of an atom is called the nucleus.
Most elements are metals. They are usually light spectrum, and greater chemical reactivity
shiny, very dense, and only melt at high Protons are particles that are in the nucleus.
than their larger​-scale counte​rparts.
temper​atures. Their shape can be easily They are positively charged.
changed into thin wires or sheets without Halogens Neutrons are particles that are in the nucleus.
breaking. Metals will corrode, gradually wearing They do not have a charge and are neutral.
away, like rusting iron. Heat and electr​icity The elements in group 7 of the periodic table,
travel easily through metals, which is why it is on the right, are called the halogens.
Noble gases
not wise to stand next to a flagpole during a The reactivity of halogens decreases going
thunde​rstorm! down the group. The elements in group 0, on the right of the
periodic table, are called the noble gases.
Non-me​tals, on the right side of the periodic The atoms of each element get larger going
table, are very different from metals. Their down the group. This means that the outer shell The noble gases all form colourless gases at
surface is dull and they don’t conduct heat and gets further away from the nucleus and is room temper​ature.
electr​icity. As compared to metals, they have shielded by more electron shells. The further They are all very unreac​tive.
low density and will melt at low temper​atures. the outer shell is from the positive attraction of All noble gases have full outer electron shells
The shape of nonmetals cannot be changed the nucleus, the harder it is to attract another and do not need to gain, lose or share
easily because they are brittle and will break. electron to complete the outer shell. This is why electrons.
Elements that have properties of both metals the reactivity of the halogens decreases going
and non-metals are called metall​oids. They can down group 7.
Ions
be shiny or dull and their shape is easily All halogen atoms require one more electron to
changed. Electr​icity and heat can travel through obtain a full outer shell and become stable. Ions are atoms with extra electrons or missing
metalloids but not as easily as they travel electrons. When you are missing an electron or
Each atom can achieve this by sharing one
through metals. two, you have a positive charge. When you
electron with another atom to form a single
have an extra electron or two, you have a
covalent bond.
negative charge.

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 The Atoms Family Cheat Sheet
by Phoebe Zhang (Phoebe12) via cheatography.com/30133/cs/11924/

Carbon Carbon (cont)

The same carbon atoms are used repeatedly Diamond: Another form of carbon, has a rigid
on earth. They cycle between the earth and the crystal lattice and is one of the strongest and
atmosp​here. hardest materials on Earth. Does not conduct
electr​icity.
Plants pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
and use it to make food –— photos​ynt​hesis. Carbon fibre: Strong and lightw​eight.

The carbon becomes part of the plant (stored Buckyballs and nanotubes: Buckyballs are
food). another allotrope of carbon discovered in 1985.

When organisms eat plants, they take in the They are balls made up of 60 carbon atoms

carbon and some of it becomes part of their and have the same geometric shape as a

own bodies. soccer ball. Nanotubes are sheets of carbon

rolled into hollow tubes and they are very
When plants and animals die, most of their
strong and conduct electr​icity and are used in
bodies are decomposed and carbon atoms are
miniature electrical circuits.
returned to the atmosp​here.

Some are not decomposed fully and end up in Isotopes

deposits underg​round (oil, coal, etc.).
Isotopes are atoms that have the same number
Carbon in rocks and underg​round deposits is
of protons and electrons, but a different
released very slowly into the atmosp​here.
number of neutrons.
This process takes many years.
Changing the number of neutrons in an atom
Additional carbon is stored in the ocean. does not change the element. Atoms of
Many animals pull carbon from water to use in elements with different numbers of neutrons are
shells, etc. called "​iso​top​es" of that element.

Animals die and carbon substances are There are two ways that isotopes are generally
deposited at the bottom of the ocean. written. They both use the mass of the atom
where mass = (number of protons) + (number
Fossil fuels release carbon stores very slowly.
of neutrons).
Burning anything releases more carbon into
The first way is to put the mass as a
atmosphere — especially fossil fuels.
supers​cript before the symbol of the element.
Fewer plants mean less CO2 removed from
The other way is to write out the element and
atmosp​here.
write the mass after a dash next to the
Carbon is very versatile and can be found in element's name.
different forms called allotropes (which means
different forms of the same element)

These allotropes include:

Charcoal: Crumbles easily, is powdery Can be

used for sketching, odor eaters in shoes
because it absorbs gases, used in tablets for
people with digestive problems, poisonous gas
filters in gas masks

Graphite: The carbon atoms form sheets that

are stacked on top of each other. The sheets
do not break easily but can slide across each
other

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