A fresh look at the periodic table

discover. 

The problems about the periodic table. 

  • Hard to memorize
  • Hard to read
  • Not enough colour, making students unmotivated to use the periodic table

the challenges 

  • Changing the periodic table, keeping in mind the elements and symbols
  • The fact that elements can change from solid, liquid and gas. This may cause problems when colour coding.
  • Filling the spaces when moving the elements around the table

dream.

brainstorming 

  • Alphabetical order
  • A different shape
  • Keep the colour coding technique
  • Organizing the periodic table into colour groups.
  • Keeping the metals and non-metals separated
  • Colour coding gas, liquid and solids.
  • Putting the metals that are on the bottom with the other metals on the top, then putting the non-metals on the bottom.
  • making a 3-D shape

what info does the periodic table tell us?

  • It tells up about the element(metal/non-metal, atomic number)

Design/ deliver.

 what is your plan?

  • To make the periodic table into a new shape
  • To colour code the elements by colour
  • Separate liquid solid and gas

When my group and I were working on the ‘periodic cube’ we kept coming up with new ideas to further evolve our cube and make it exactly how we want it. (ex. Adding drawings, a legend, colour and formatting.) first we had to draw a basic paper cube template, then we glued all of the elements onto the paper and drew on the paper, before folding It and tapping it into the cube shape that we had planned. We organized the sides corresponding with the state of the element at room temperature. (20c) we also colour coded the elements by, metals, non-metals and metalloids.

After this, we made a legend on the right side of the cube, and drew some arrows on the top  of the cube to help anyone find the element that they are looking for. All of the elements have a colorful border indicating weather they are liquid, solid or gas (purple=solid red=liquid green=gas)

We also indicated how the particles behave when they are in the state indicated.

debrief.

 how can we improve the periodic cube?/what could we have done differently?

  • We could have used the atomic number to some degree.
  • Put the elements in alphabetic order.
  • Filled more of the empty white space on our cube.