The Periodic Table

Introduction:

Currently, there are 118 known elements. Of these, only 94 are believed to be occurring naturally on our planet. The remaining elements are either radioactive, fabricated as technology advanced or evolved with other elements as time passed by. A chemical element is defined as being pure material in its simplest form, a substance that cannot be broken down or separated any further. Every element has their unique properties that make up what they are. An element can only contain one type of atom, which is the amount of protons within the nucleus, this will always remain the same for the same type of element.

How are elements arranged:

The Periodic table is a display of all the elements that we know of, it is shaped like a rectangular box. The elements are sorted accordingly depending on their atomic structure, which shows their properties. They are arranged by increasing atomic number, which shows the amount of protons a certain element. Some elements have long names, that is why all elements are given an abbreviation which is shared throughout the scientific world. The atomic number could be found at the bottom left-hand corner of the abbreviation. The number which is at the top of the abbreviation is the mass number, this number is the sum of the amount of neutrons and protons. (E.g. If we want to find out the number of neutrons only, then we can find that out by using Mass number - Atomic Number).

Elements are sorted into groups and periods. Groups go vertically, whereas periods go horizontally. Elements also have a group number, and the number is equivalent to the number of valence electrons in its outer shell. The number of electrons in its most outer shell will describe an element’s chemical properties. All the elements that are put together in the same group will have fairly similar chemical properties due to the fact that they share the same number of valence electrons. An example of this may be that all the elements in group 1 are very reactive because they all have 1 electron ...

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Currently, there are 18 groups of elements. Starting from the 1st group, which are alkali metals, it moves to the extreme right, which is the place for the Noble Gases. Metals are in the left hand side of the Periodic table, and non-metals on the far right, this leaves the transitioning metals in the middle of the table.

What are Protons, Neutrons and Electrons:

In every atom’s structure, they must contain a proton, an electron and also a neutron,

Protons: In an atom, there will be the same amount of proton particles as there would be electron particles. This is because they have a positive electrical charge, which will neutralise the amount electrons, which has a negative electrical charge. They are found in the nucleus of the atom. All electrical protons have a electrical charge of +1. Protons are heavier and larger compared to electrons.

Neutrons: Judging by its name, we know that the purpose of neutrons are to neutralise, they don’t have any electrical charges, and like protons they are large and heavy.

Electrons: Electrons are particles that are extremely small compared to a proton, The mass of an electron is almost 1,000 times smaller than the mass of a proton. Together, all of the electrons of an atom create a negative charge that neutralises the positive charge of the protons located in the nucleus. Electrons are found in clouds and they orbit around very quickly. The higher the atomic number, the more shells and electrons an atom will have.

Bibliography:

The Periodic TableexportedGraphic.pdf ¬1__#$!@%!#__exportedGraphic.pdf ¬

Peer Reviews

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30th of Jun 2012

Quality of writing

The fact that key words are in bold type is a very good skill to employ in any subject as it makes marks easy to find. The bibliography at the end of the essay is a good way for teacher/examiners to see where you got your information, to improve this a small evaluation of each source that includes comments on reliability, could be a good idea. Overall this is a very good essay because of the layout and use of key terms.

Level of analysis

The introduction gives a brief and concise overview, which includes a definition of what an element is which is key to understanding the rest of the essay. This is a transferable skill that you can use anywhere, which is explaining any key words that you use, it shows whoever is marking it that you have an in depth knowledge of the subject. The way the essay has been set out allows for very easy reading, as you do not have to go 'looking' for the points that could be worth marks. The language used for example 'valence electrons' is a high level term that is not commonly used until A-level. Maybe some of the terms used could have been better explained as it would had added to what is already a brilliant essay.

Response to question

The student answers the question well with the information given being accurate and relative to the subject. The response is explicit with everything a student at GCSE would need to learn about the periodic table.

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