HY-DRO-GEN

Let's start our tour of the periodic table with hydrogen (H). Why start with hydrogen? Hydrogen is the first element in the periodic table and the most basic and common of all elements in the Universe. Over ninety percent of all the atoms in the universe are hydrogen atoms, and they are the lightest of all elements. Although it has been around forever, it took a chemist named Lavoisier to name it. The name hydrogen comes from the Latin word "hydro", which means water (H2O). Lavoisier knew that hydrogen was in all water molecules. Scientists use the letter "H" to represent hydrogen in all chemical equations and descriptions. You can also find hydrogen closer to home in every organism, blowtorches, and low temperature freezing processes.

HE-LI-UM
Let's finish off the top row of the periodic table with a short look at helium (He). You'll find it on the upper right of the table as element number two. It is the first in the family of noble gases. Helium is the other very simple element that you will find with one atomic orbital. The chemists Lockyear and Frankland named the element. They named it after the Sun and the Latin word "helios". Even when first discovered and identified, scientists knew there were large amounts of helium in the Sun. Similar to hydrogen (H), helium is usually found as a gas and has no color or smell. Helium is found everywhere in the Universe and is the second most common element, just behind hydrogen. As far as we're concerned, helium is a "happy" element. It is inert, because its outermost electron orbital is full with two electrons. You can also find helium in compressed air tanks, lasers, and as coolan

LITH-I-UM

Let's start our look at the second row of the periodic table with lithium (Li). Lithium is the third element of the periodic table and was discovered in 1817 by a chemist named Arfvedson. You might find lithium in everyday objects, such as medicines and batteries. This is the first metal encountered in the periodic table, and it is a silvery colored solid when purified. One thing to remember is that lithium is never found alone in nature. It is always bonded to other elements. Scientists use the letter pair "Li" to represent lithium in chemical equations. You might find it bonded to chlorine (Cl) from the other side of the periodic table in the molecule lithium chloride

BE-RYL-LI-UM

Beryllium (Be) is the fourth element of the periodic table and was discovered and named in 1798 by a chemist named Vaquelin. He actually found the element when he was working with emeralds. Now we use beryllium in nuclear reactors, machine parts, and satellites. Purified beryllium is a grey, hard, steel-like metal that is very poisonous. Another of its characteristics is its non-magnetic quality. Non-magnetic metals are very useful in electronics. Scientists use the letter pair "Be" to represent beryllium in chemical equations and compound descriptions. You can never find beryllium alone. It is always combined with other elements when fo

BO-RON

Welcome to the element boron (B). It's the big number five on the periodic table of elements. Society has used boron for thousands of years, but it wasn't isolated and named until 1808. Sir Humphry Davy, Guy Lussac and another scientist named Theonard gave boron its name. You may have heard of borax. Boron is in those cleaning compounds. It's a tough element to isolate, because it is never found alone in nature. Boron is always part of larger compounds in the real world. When you do find it, it will either be in a brown powder or a crystal. As scientists did more experiments, they discovered that boron was also a very poor conductor of electricity. You can also find boron ceramics, fiberglass, and flare guns. und

CAR-BON

This is the magic element for everything on Earth. All life on Earth depends on carbon (C). It is in nearly every biological compound that makes up our bodies, systems, organs, cells, and organelles. When you breathe out, there is a lot of carbon dioxide (CO2). Carbon has been known and used for thousands of years. It was never really discovered. Ancient people knew of the black soot left over after a fire. That was carbon. Carbon is the sixth element in the periodic table. Located between boron (B) and nitrogen (N), it is a very stable element. Because it is stable, it can be found both by itself and in many naturally occurring compounds. Scientists describe the three states of carbon as diamond, amorphous, and graphite. It is the same graphite you find in pencils. on Earth. (LiCl). ts in nuclear reactors.

NI-TRO-GEN

The second of the big three elements in row two is nitrogen (N). Nitrogen is the seventh element of the periodic table. It is located between carbon (C) and oxygen (O). Along with carbon and oxygen, nitrogen is essential in most of the compounds that allow life to exist. It would be great if you remember that nitrogen is an important part of amino acids. We'll

tell you again later, but you should always know that almost eighty percent of Earth's atmosphere is made of nitrogen gas. Even though it surrounds us every day, nitrogen wasn't isolated until 1772 by Daniel Rutherford. It was named eighteen years later by the chemist Chaptal. Nitrogen is a clear gas that has no smell when it is in its pure form. It is not very reactive when it is a pure molecule, but it can create very reactive compounds when combined with other elements, including hydrogen (H) in ammonia (N

OX-Y-GEN

You're breathing right now and your body is taking in oxygen (O) molecules. You need oxygen to survive, as do almost all other living organisms. It's a good thing that oxygen makes up over twenty percent of the Earth's atmosphere. We are the only planet in the solar system with enough oxygen gas available to let us survive. Did you know that if you breathe too much oxygen you could die? What about this: If you have a room filled with oxygen and hydrogen (H) and someone lights a match... it will explode! That's because oxygen is very reactive. Oxygen is the eighth element of the periodic table and can be found in the second row (period). Alone, oxygen is a colorless and odorless molecule that is a gas at room temperature. Oxygen molecules are not the only form of oxygen in the atmosphere; you will also find oxygen as ozone (O3) and carbon dioxide (CO2). A chemist named Priestly isolated oxygen in 1774. H3).

FLUOR-INE

Fluorine (F) is the ninth element of the periodic table and was first isolated and identified in 1886 by a scientist named Moisson. Scientists knew about fluorine for hundreds of years, but it wasn't isolated until the late 1800s. Now we use fluorine in refrigerators, toothpaste, and rocket fuels. Located in the second period of the table (row 2), fluorine is the first element in the family of halogen gases. Fluorine is a yellowish gas at room temperature and is very dangerous. Be careful if you are working in a chemistry lab with fluorine gas. Even though the names rhyme, don't get fluorine mixed up with chlorine (Cl) in your homework. They are very different elements, and fluorine is both poisonous and very reactive with other elements. It can combine

NE-ON

Neon (Ne) is one of the fun elements. The first thing most people think of is a big neon sign. The gas is placed in glass tubes and an electric current is sent through the gas. When excited, neon enters a plasma state and glows red. Neon is the tenth element of the periodic table and the second of the noble gases. The element is incredibly non-reactive because of its electron configuration. It has a "happy" electron orbital that is filled with eight electrons.

Neon wasn't always the fun element it is today. It wasn't discovered or isolated until 1898 by two chemists named Ramsay and Travers. When you find it, neon is a clear, odorless gas that isn't very exciting without electricity. Scientists use the letter pair "Ne" to represent neon in chemical equations. w

SO-DI-UM

As we begin our exploration of the third period (row) of the periodic table, we find the element sodium (Na). Being in the first column, sodium is a member of the alkali metal family with potassium (K) and lithium (Li). Sodium's big claim to fame is that it's one of two elements in your table salt. When bonded to chlorine (Cl), the two elements make sodium chloride (NaCl). Sodium is also used as a salt in many fertilizers. Even though humans have been using sodium for thousands of years, it was not isolated until 1807 by a chemist named Davy. When you purify sodium, you actually wind up with a silvery bright metal that is quite soft and malleable. Sodium is one of the few metals that will float when it is placed in water (H2O). Sodium's atomic mass is less that water's atomic mass of 18 amu. ith nearly any

MAG-NE-SI-UM

As we move across the third row of the periodic table, we find magnesium (Mg) in the number two position. Humans have used magnesium, like many other simple elements, for hundreds of years. It wasn't until 1808 that a chemist named Davy isolated and purified the metal. The reason it took so long to isolate magnesium is that it is always found bonded to other elements in nature. Located in the second column of the periodic table, magnesium is in the family of alkali earth metals with calcium (Ca) and beryllium (Be). When purified, magnesium is a very light and silvery metal. Its lightness makes it perfect for use in many other metal alloys to increase strength without increasing the weight of the structure. Magnesium is also an important element in your diet. Both you and plants need magnesium to live and be healthy. It is called a trace metal. Plants use magnesium to build chlorophyll molec

A-LU-MI-NUM

You are probably very familiar with the metal aluminum (Al). Many of you wrap your sandwiches with aluminum foil. On the other hand, many of your families also cook with the foil. Being such an expert with aluminum, you already know that the metal is a silvery white color and very reflective. Another great trait of aluminum is that it is not toxic. So cook and eat away - the aluminum foil will not get you sick. The thirteenth element in the periodic table has many other uses. When aluminum is combined with other metals, it becomes very strong. It is so strong that engineers use it to build planes and ships. Did you know that there is even a type of plastic that has aluminum

inside? Even though humans have been using the metal for thousands of years, it was not until 1807 that Davy named the metal. It took another twenty years before it was purified and isolated by a chemist named Wohler. Aluminum is located in the same column of the periodic table wi

SIL-I-CON

The periodic table's close relative of carbon (C) is silicon (Si). Silicon is found everywhere in the Universe, but is not found by itself in nature. You will always find silicon bound to other elements, such as periodic table (O). The rocks with silicon and oxygen are called silicates. You're probably sitting in front of some silicon right now. It's in your computer! Even though humans have been using silicon for thousands of years, it wasn't discovered officially until 1824 by a scientist named Berzelius. It was isolated and forced to form its first crystals in 1854. When purified, it is a metallic-looking, grayish crystal. While it might be shiny like a metal, it is not a metal. You will find silicon just below carbon in the third row (period) of the periodic table. Silicon has a similar makeup to carbon in the way its electrons are arrangedth periodic

SIL-I-CON

The periodic table's close relative of carbon (C) is silicon (Si). Silicon is found everywhere in the Universe, but is not found by itself in nature. You will always find silicon bound to other elements, such as periodic table (O). The rocks with silicon and oxygen are called silicates. You're probably sitting in front of some silicon right now. It's in your computer! Even though humans have been using silicon for thousands of years, it wasn't discovered officially until 1824 by a scientist named Berzelius. It was isolated and forced to form its first crystals in 1854. When purified, it is a metallic-looking, grayish crystal. While it might be shiny like a metal, it is not a metal. You will find silicon just below carbon in the third row (period) of the periodic table. Silicon has a similar makeup to carbon in the way its electrons are arranged table (B)ules. element on Earth.