Build A Trend Lab

Introduction
Does ionization energy increase or decrease going down a group on the periodic table? Does
atomic size increase or decrease from left to right across a period? In this lab, you will construct
a three dimensional model of a physical property for the main group elements.
Materials
Calculator, at least 1 per group
Straws, 35
Card stock with blank table attached
Scissors, at least 1 per group
Metric ruler
Periodic table
Clay or putty
Procedure
1. Form a group of four and gather your supplies. Your teacher will determine which property
you are modeling: atomic mass, atomic size, ionization energy, electronegativity, density, or
melting point.
2. Look in your textbook or other references to find values for your physical property. Find the
maximum value of the assigned physical property for the elements 120, 3138, and 4954
(these are the representative or main group elements in periods #15). Example: The maximum
value of the density for these elements is 7.31 g/cm3 (for tin).
3. Let the length of the straw represent this maximum value. This length will be the standard for
all of the other values of the density of the elements. Example: For a straw that is 18.5 cm long, a
straw length of 18.5 cm will represent a density of 7.31 g/cm3. The scale is thus 19.5 cm = 7.31
g/cm3. Round off straw lengths to 0.1 cm (1 mm).
4. Using this straw scale as a ratio, calculate the straw length that is needed to represent the
assigned property for each element in the list. Example: The density of beryllium is 1.85 g/cm3.
Solving Equation 1 for the straw length (sl) shows that a straw length of 4.7 cm is needed to
represent the density of beryllium. Round off all straw lengths to 0.1 cm.
18.5 cm

7.31 g/cm3

sl

1.85 g/cm3

sl = (18.5 1.85)/7.31 = 4.7 cm

5. Cut a straw to the desired length.

Equation 1

6. Place the straw on the cardboard according to the position of the element in the periodic table.
Remember, the transition elements are not included in the list of representative elements.
Example: Beryllium (period 2, Group IIA) is placed in row 2, column 2.
7. (Optional) Place a pea-sized amount of plumbers putty or clay or glue in the bottom of each
straw before placing it on the cardboard. This will make the resulting straw chart more stable.
8. Repeat steps 4-7 for each element in the list.
9. Determine the nature of any periodic trend that may exist for the assigned property of the
elements and propose an explanation for the observed trend.
10. Create a descriptive card to be displayed with the three-dimensional chart. Include the
following information on the card:
(1) names of group members; (2) the assigned physical property of the element; (3)
description of the observed trend; (4) proposed explanation for the trend going down and across
11. Assign various group members to explain your trend.
a. trend going down a group on the periodic table (increase or decrease and why)
b. trend going across a period on the periodic table (increase or decrease and why)
c. highest value for the trend (element and value)
d. lowest value for the trend (element and value)
e. any exceptions to the trend and why