ISO-8859-1
Exploring Atomic Orbitals across the Periodic Table
First Steps with the Periodic Table and Its Atoms' Orbitals
The periodic table gives us an ordered list of all the elements. It was created about 100 years before the discoveries of atomic energy levels (shells) with their electron orbitals. When viewing the table, the one rule you must remember is that moving over one element to the right brings you to an element that has one more proton and one more electron. Similarly, moving over one box to the left brings you to an element with one less electron and one less proton.
For example, Hydrogen has one proton and one electron, Helium has 2 protons and two electrons. The next lightest element, Lithium, has three protons and 3 electrons. Carbon has six protons and six electrons. Oxygen has eight protons and eight electrons. etc.
In this exercise you will explore the periodic table with its orbital viewer. You will be able to explain, using concepts of electron orbitals, why the elements are arranged as they are in the periodic table. You will also be able to explain why some elements are similar, and why some might attract outer electrons from other elements.
Now, open the periodic table
Adjust the table so you can see both the table and the text.
Each row is called a period.
The 3-D model shows only the shape of the outermost orbital. If there are more orbitals, they are largely hidden within.
The small table below the Periodic Table indicates where the electrons can be found in that element.
Now you are ready to do three tasks: explore the first rows or "periods" of the table,
explore orbital shapes, and compare atomic sizes.
CLICK to go to the next page =>
truefalse0trueMW-pt1/pt1.cml0_blanktruetrue
1
20.0
14true
1
20.0
14
40.0
14
14true
14
40.0
14
40.0
true14
14
40.0
14
40.0
14
truefalse0trueMW-pt1/pt1.cml0_blanktruetrue
40.0
truefalse0trueMW-pt1/pt1.cml0_blanktruetrue
40.0
pt_icon.pngpt1.cml
truefalse0truept1.cml0_blanktruetrue14
40.0
0truetruetruefalse_blank14255 0 0true0
0truetruetruefalse_blank140true
40.0
14
14true
14
40.0
14
14true
14
40.0
14
40.0
14
40.0
14
org.concord.modeler.PageTextField
<html>
How many <b>electrons</b> does Lithium have?
</html>
40.0
org.concord.modeler.PageTextField
<html>
How many <b>energy levels</b> does Lithium have?
</html>
40.0
14
40.0
14
org.concord.modeler.PageTextField
<html>
How many <b>orbitals</b> does Lithium have?
</html>
40.0
14
40.0
14
org.concord.modeler.PageTextField
<html>
How many electrons are contained in an<i> s </i> orbital?
</html>
40.0
40.0
org.concord.modeler.PageTextField
<html>
How many electrons are contained in a <i>p </i>?
</html>
14
40.0
14
100.0
org.concord.modeler.PageTextArea
5
<html>
Describe how Magnesium, as an example, is different from Lithium.
</html>
14
40.0
14
14true
40.0
14true
40.0
14true
40.0
14true
20.0
true
40.0
40.0
page3.cml