An Exploration of the Periodic Table
1) During the 19th century, several scientists had tried to organize the known elements into a workable table. The man credited with designing the periodic table we use today is Dmitri Mendeleev. Using the Treasure Trove of Scientific Biography, answer these questions about this famous chemist.
A) In what country was Mendeleev born?
B) He lived from when to when?
C) What is the title of his famous book and when was it published?
D) What group of elements did he omit?
Why?
2) Before we can begin our little webquest, we need some definitions. This website--named How Many--will help us to define two important words we will need to complete this exercise. Using this website, please provide very brief definitions of these terms.
A) Atomic mass unit (u
or amu)
B) Atomic number
3) Please note the names of your two elements. These elements
are the ones you will use throughout your web exercise.
Element 1____________________________________________________ Symbol______
Element 2____________________________________________________ Symbol______
Before you can go any farther, please use this website called Element
Tables to find the symbol assigned to each of your two elements and
write it in the appropriate blank.
4) This next site is color coded to help you find which group your element belongs to. Please use this site on the chemical elements to identity the appropriate group or family for each of your two elements. After you have found the groups for your elements, please click here and find and list the defining characteristics of those elements in that family.
Element 1 Family:
Characteristics of that family
Element 2 Family:
Characteristics of that family
5) Now the work begins in earnest. Using this wonderful site provided to us by the Los Alamos National Labs, please give the appropriate information for each of your two elements.
Element 1________________ Element 2______________
Atomic Number __________ Atomic Number_________
Atomic Weight___________ Atomic Weight__________
Uses__________________ Uses__________________
Discovered by___________ Discovered by___________
When_____
When__________
6) Boiling point and melting point are key attributes to each element. This online periodic table was designed by a high school class and contains information about these properties. Please list the boiling point and the melting point for each of your elements.
Element _______________________ Boiling pt._______ Melting pt._______Electron Configuration:
Element _______________________ Boiling pt._______ Melting pt._______Electron Configuration:
7) This website may take a minute to load. Be patient, for seldom in life do things worthwhile come quickly and easily. Using this incredible site, you will get to visual representations of your elements.
A) What visual accompanies your first element?
Your second?
B) Give me a description of your first element.
Give me a description of your second element.
8) FUN TIME!! Whoever said science was boring and had little to do with real life. Using this site, you will see how your element has appeared in comic books. Find your element on the periodic table and then list a comic book title that deals with that element.
Element 1
Element 2
9) Mendeleev had the foresight to realize that the periodical table would always need additional space for newly discovered elements. Physicists and chemists are constantly creating or discovering new elements. We are going to use Infotrac to find the newest elements and answer these questions about them. Click on the magazine article entitled "New Elements Created." Read this brief article and answer these questions.
a) Where were they discovered?
b) How were they created?
c) Superman would not have appreciated this project. What element was used to create the two new ones?
d) How long does it take element 118 to decay into element 116?
e) Both new elements eventually decayed into element 106. What is element
106?