Monday, January 10, 2011

Periodic Table of Elements

The following tells a little bit on how elements are listed in the table.
The elements of the table are listed in order, from lowest to highest, of atomic number (the number of protons in the atomic nucleus). This atomic number is the one listed in the top left corner. In the top right corner of each element is the elements’ atomic mass. Atomic mass is the measurement of the total mass of protons, neutrons and electrons in a single atom (when the atom is motionless).
The chemical symbol of each element is a 1 or 2 letter (internationally agreed) code for a chemical element (usually derived from the name of the element, often in Latin).
To explain a little further, let’s take a look at the difference between NA and K on the table.
NA is the chemical symbol for the element: Sodium. Sodium has an atomic number of 11 and a mass of 22.990, while
K is the chemical symbol for the element: Potassium. Potassium has an atomic number of 19 and a mass of 39.20.
A basic break down of information can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periodic_table
Other images can be found by simply Googling “Periodic Table.” Keep in mind that the atomic mass will often be listed on the bottom of each element rather than in the top right corner.

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