Classifying Elements

Claires chemistry class has just started a unit on the

periodic table. Her class thought the periodic table
was just used to know what the symbols were for the
elements, but then one student said

CLAIRE THOUGHT ...

I wonder if there is a way
to run tests on elements,
and classify them?
Maybe the periodic table
already does this?

But why arent the elements

arranged in a square, then?
Why does it have that strange
shape?

Claire thinks about what she has learned about

physical and chemical properties...
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
properties that can be
observed without
changing the identity
of a substance

AFTER CLASS...

CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
properties that are
observed while altering
the identity of the
substance involved

So, Mr. Blanco, could we

use chemical and physical
properties of elements
to categorize elements?

AFTER CLASS
CLAIRE SPEAKS
WITH HER
CHEMISTRY
TEACHER...

What a
great idea...

Yes, that is
possible Claire!

C. Sandvick 2015

Lab Today!

The following day Claire walked into class, and Mr. Blanco had prepared a lab that would allow them to
classify elements based on the elements chemical and physical properties...

THIS LAB WOULD TASK

STUDENTS WITH IDENTIFYING
THE PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL
PROPERTIES OF ELEMENTS,
AND USING THIS
INFORMATION TO CLASSIFY
THEM.

So, I think we need to

write down the color of
each sample, first.

Claire began setting up the lab, as

directed by her teacher, Mr. Blanco. She
gathered a couple pieces of the three
elements, and placed them, using
tweezers, into a labeled test tube.

Then we should look at the

luster, or whether theyre shiny
or dull. And we should write
down any other physical
properties we see.

Zinc

Sulfur

Silicon

Data Table

CLAIRE AND HER PARTNERS DATA COLLECTION...

C. Sandvick 2015

We need to look at
malleability of the
elements.

What is malleability Claire? And

how would this help us
categorize the elements?

Some elements like metals, are

malleable and can be hammered
into sheets. Theyre also ductile,
and can be drawn into wires.

SO CLAIRE
EXPLAINS TO
MARCUS WHAT
MALLEABILITY
IS...

Nonmetals are very brittle, and

cannot be hammered into sheets
or drawn out into wires.
If hammered, they will
break/shatter.

Marcus and Claire begin testing the

malleability of the elements by using a
nail, and hitting the nail with a hammer
to see what happens to the element...

Metals usually show a reaction with acids (e.g. HCl) and Copper (II)
Chloride (CuCl2).

NOW THEY
NEED TO TEST
CHEMICAL
PROPERTIES...

Note: Reactions do not always occur immediately... And

sometimes, theyre difficult to observe. (hint... look for bubbles)

1 M HCl

1 M CuCl2

C. Sandvick 2015

Claire is
confident
theyve ran
all the tests
they can
until...

Have you guys tried testing

the conductivity of the
elements, yet?

No, should
we?
Only metals
conduct electricity.

From their research...

Metals
Shiny
able
malle
e
ductil
in color
y
e
r
g
y
l
l
usua
room
y solid at
l
l
a
u
s
u

re
temperatu
s
Nonmetal
dull
Marcus and Claire go to their desks and look at all their
e
om
brittl
gas at ro
r
data... They realize more research must be done in
o
id
l
o
s
y
usuall ure
order to categorize their elements as metals,
temperat
nonmetals, and metalloids by their characteristics.
s
th
Metalloid aracteristics of bo
h
Have c nd nonmetals
metals a
uctors of
d
n
o
c
d
o
o
not g
y
electricit
throughout the
ed
ib
cr
es
d
cs
ti
is
er
more charact
Note: There were
story...

e
h
T nd
E

C. Sandvick 2015