A Fresh Look at the Periodic Table

Problem: How can your group change the periodic table in your own ideas.

Questions: If we change the numbers will it affect on what elements are in the periodic table?

• When changing the shape of the periodic table will we have to sort it out by numbers so the numbers won’t get mixed up? Or will we have to sort by symbol?
• For each group, will it be mixed up if changing the shape and will it affect the numbers and symbol?
• What does the periodic table show us?
• How are the elements represented on the periodic table.

In our group our plan was to sort out the periodic table in a different shape but keep the groups in the same order, although our numbers and symbols were mixed up. We put it in a kind of tree form and went from transition metals to Lanthanides. We had all the different groups together, like alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, transition metals, basic metals, semi metal, nonmetal, halogen, noble gasses, Lanthanides, and actin-ides. Even though our numbers are not in the same order, we still sorted it out in a way for it to be easy for a person to find where each element is and which group it is in. We also put the groups in the same color form. We tried to keep everything organized but the numbers and symbols of course.

Debrief: I think a way to improve our periodic table was to try and keep the numbers and symbols around the same area but not too mixed up, ours was a little too mixed up but some of our numbers were the same around the bottom of our table. Maybe if our numbers or symbols were in the same order we could have achieved the goal of wanting it to be easier to find more.

The periodic table tells us the symbols and atomic number of each element, it tells us what period and what group the element is in. It tells us the types of elements. For example: metals or non metals. It shows what state the element is in at room temperature, each name of the element, the name of the groups, and just in general facts about each element. We could sort each element by psychical properties and chemical properties. For example physical properties: color, boiling point, melting point, and density. Chemical properties: flammability, toxicity, etc.