Chemistry Lab:

Designing Your Own Periodic Table

I. Purpose: To design your won periodic table using information similar to that available to Mendeleev

II. Materials: 1.) Periodic Table; 2.) index cards

III. Procedure:

1.) Pick 20 elements from a periodic table and 20 index cards; 2.) On each index card, code each element as a letter and then write the element’s atomic

mass, melting point, boiling point, density, and its chemical properties on the card 3.) When finished, exchange cards with another person and try to arrange their elements in

the right places by looking at their chemical properties and atomic mass like Mendeleev 4.) Look at the person’s key to see if you were correct

IV. Data:

Part A: Index Cards and Key (At the Bottom) Part B: Initial attempt at arranging elements

1 2 13 14 15 16 17 18

1 Q D

2 A K E J P

3 B

4 O H

5 L F G R S

6 T N

7 M C I

Part C: Actual Order of Elements

1 2 13 14 15 16 17 18

1 Q

2 A E D

3 J P

4 B O K

5 L F R S

6 T N G I H

7 M C

V. Analyze and Conclude 1. Keeping in mind that the information you have is similar to that available to Mendeleev in

1869, answer the following questions: a.) Mendeleev did not have information about each element’s atomic number (it hadn’t

been known in that time period yet) and it is much easier to find and sort elements by increasing atomic mass.

b.) Some of them, yes.

2. There are 8 groups in my periodic table.

3. I can predict missing elements by looking at where the missing spots lie. For instance, in group one, it is most likely that the missing elements will have the same properties as the other elements in that group.