Q&A for How to Memorise the Periodic Table

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  • Question
    Why do organic compounds have a separate branch?
    Community Answer
    That is because organic chemistry mainly deals with carbon and its compounds. Carbon shows catenation and can form coordinate or covalent bonds very easily. This results in a huge number of compounds of Carbons or more specifically organic compounds. These compounds outnumber inorganic compounds by a huge difference, so a separate branch for their specific study is created.
  • Question
    What properties does gold show that makes it a noble metal?
    Community Answer
    Gold is unreactive to just about anything you throw at it. Unlike metals like copper and iron, it does not react to oxygen. It doesn't react with water, and acids will not attack it either. In fact, the only things that will get gold to react are aqua regia and liquid mercury. Because gold is so unreactive, it's a noble metal.
  • Question
    What can I do when the test is tomorrow?
    Community Answer
    Instead of trying to memorize them all at once, try to break them down into groups. Once you have memorized one group, add the next group. Take breaks throughout the evening. Even though the test is the next day, by cramming too much, you may still end up forgetting some elements. Writing out the table a few times can also be useful the night before.
  • Question
    Is there a way to use singing to memorize all of the elements?
    Community Answer
    Check YouTube for a song by AsapSCIENCE called "The New Periodic Table."
  • Question
    How do I know the valency of the elements?
    Community Answer
    The electrons in the outermost shell represent the valency. You must know the number of electrons entering every shell. An atom always tries to stay stable, meaning it requires a minimum of 8 electrons in its outermost shell, so the atom sometime gives, loses, or gains electrons. The number of electrons lost/gained is its valency. If the number of electrons in the outermost shell is one, it loses that one electron, hence its valency is one. If there are six electrons, it needs two electrons, so that's what it gains; as a result, its valency is 2.
  • Question
    Are there any tricks to memorizing the periodic table?
    Community Answer
    Listen to the Periodic Table Song by ASAP Science over and over again.
  • Question
    Are there any mental tricks for identifying an element's atomic number quickly?
    Community Answer
    Think of people's names and what house number they live in. If not then try to relate it to something you can remember or use a lot.
  • Question
    Is there any code for memorizing the first 25 elements?
    Community Answer
    Just write out the symbols for the different elements. Read through and test yourself to see how many you can remember. Use flashcards to help memorize them.
  • Question
    Why does gold not react to oxygen, water, and acids?
    Community Answer
    Because gold is a very unreactive metal, known as a noble metal.
  • Question
    How do I know if an element has electrons?
    Community Answer
    All elements have electrons. The number of electrons correlates to the atomic number (e.g., potassium has 19 electrons, the same as its atomic number).
  • Question
    What are the types of solutions on the periodic table?
    Community Answer
    The periodic table sorts individual elements only. Solutions can be made by combining these elements.
  • Question
    How many elements are on the periodic table?
    Community Answer
    There are 118 elements in the Periodic Table.
  • Question
    How can I calculate the mass number?
    Community Answer
    Fortunately, you don't have to. It's a complicated process involving atomic isotopes. The periodic table gives the mass number of each element. It's the decimal number near the bottom-right of each square. In the article above, it's referred to as "atomic weight." It is approximately equal to the number of protons and neutrons in the atom's nucleus (plus a tiny weight representing the electrons).
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