Category:Elements

From RationalWiki

Elements are the different varieties of atom that exist. They are the basic components of matter, which cannot be broken down into smaller parts (except by much higher energy nuclear reactions). The twenty or so heaviest are so unstable they only ever occur in intentional lab experiments, and even then not for very long.

[edit] Overview

Each element has distinct chemical properties in its pure form. The various elements are related due to the rather repetitious and simplistic structures that recur as they get larger, probably due to our creator's laziness. These similarities allow the elements to be grouped in the Bible of Chemistry, known as the Periodic Table.

[edit] The Periodic Table

The Periodic Table was the result of the repetitive (or periodic) properties, such as reactivity, of various elements. Thus, elements were arranged into groups of elements with similar properties. Later, it was discovered that this was due to these elements having the same number of electrons in their outer shells. Thus, silicon has similar reactivities to carbon, although their difference in physical size also affects these properties. These observed facts are combined in their arrangement in the modern Periodic Table of the Elements.

Elements in the table are sorted by the increasing number of protons in their nuclei, from 1 to somewhere around 120 (the electron count of an element is the same as the number protons). The structure of the table is based on the electronic structure of the atom, in the "p" block for example, there are elements for which the outermost electron is in a "p" orbital.

For perhaps the world's most awesome Periodic Table display, go to this gentleman's website.

Elements often form compounds of more than one atom - this results in "life as we know it", and the science of chemistry.

Here then, are some articles we have written 'bout elements: