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Instructions
Understand how atoms are structured before you start looking at the periodic chart. Each atom is made up of tiny particles called protons, neutrons and electrons. In simple terms, the atom contains a core, made up of protons and neutrons, surrounded by electrons that orbit around it in a series of rings known as shells, similar to how the planets of our solar system orbit around the sun. Different elements have different numbers of protons, neutrons and electrons within them.
Look at how the periodic chart is constructed from lots of individual squares. Each square represents a particular element and contains certain information about it. The number at the top of the square is the element's atomic number, which tells you how many protons are in each atom. The number at the bottom of the square indicates its atomic mass, which tells you how many protons and neutrons are in each atom. Each square also tells you the element's name and its symbol, composed of one or two letters that represent the element in all languages.
Look for the numbers written around the outside of the table. These begin near hydrogen in the top left. You'll see 18 vertical columns and seven horizontal rows. Scientists refer to the vertical columns as groups and to the horizontal rows as periods.
Look carefully at the vertical column, or group, farthest to the right to understand why the elements are grouped the way they are. Group 18 is made up of the noble gases, which are grouped together because they share many common properties, one of which is that they do not react easily with other elements. Most elements are stable, and thus unlikely to react with other elements, when they have eight electrons in their outer shell. The atomic numbers of the noble gases tell you how many electrons they have. Neon, for example, has an atomic number of 10, meaning it has two electrons in its inner shell and eight in the outer shell.
Look at the horizontal rows, or periods, shown in the periodic table. Each row indicates that the elements in it have similar properties, such as how well they conduct electricity.
Your periodic chart may show the elements in three different colors. These colors indicate the elements' metallic properties. A total of 17 elements on the right of the chart, including the noble gases, make up the nonmetals. Seven elements alongside these, including silicon and arsenic, are the metalloid elements and the rest of the elements are classified as metals.