Atoms, elements and the Periodic Table

Learning Intention

We are learning that atoms make elements and that elements contain only one type of atom. Elements can occur as single atoms, molecules or lattices and this explains how some occur as a gas, liquid or solid at room temperature.

Success Criteria

I will describe three elements that occur as a gas, liquid or solid at room temperature by identifying what type of structure they form (atom, molecule or lattice)

What are chemical elements?

Elements that occur as atoms, molecules or lattices helps to identify whether it is as a solid, liquid or gas at room temperature

1. atoms and elements.pptx

This Presentation contains board notes, definitions and the molecule card activity.

Which objects are elements?

periodic table and properties of the elements.ppt

This Presentation contains board notes about element properties and the periodic table

Chemical symbols and formulas

Each element has its own symbol. This may be either:

a capital letter, or
a capital letter followed by a lower case letter

Notice that some symbols don't match the English names of the elements. This is because these elements were historically known by other names, usually in Latin. Metals such as gold were discovered in ancient times. Gold has the symbol Au for the Latin word Aurum and Mercury has the symbol Hg for 'Hydrargyrum' the greek name for liquid silver.

Elements Storytelling.pdf

Elements Storytelling Answers.pdf

Element Properties

Each element has a unique set of properties that determine how it looks and behaves.

State (at room temperature): solid. liquid or gas
Colour: silvery grey, yellow, colourless
Reflectance: shiny or dull
Other: magnetic, conducts electricity, tends to rust, explosive in water

Knowing an element's properties helps us figure out how it could be useful.

State at room temperature, Melting point and Boiling Point

One of the most important properties of elements is their ordinary state of matter – solid, liquid or gas – and the points at which they melt and boil. Elements with extreme melting and boiling points often have useful applications.

For example, helium has extremely low melting and boiling points and is a liquid between -272°C and -269°C. Liquid helium is used for cooling medical scanners and particle accelerators.

At the other extreme, the metal rhenium is the element with the highest known boiling point: 5590°C! It also has a high melting point, which is why it's added to jet engine parts to help them withstand extremely high temperatures.