While the scientific revolution helped transform different education fields, such as biology, physics, and mathematics, it also catapulted various breakthroughs in the field of chemistry. However, scientists faced a prominent issue that was remembering and arranging different chemical elements. Then in 1869, a Russian scientist, Dmitri Mendeleev, invented the periodic table.
The periodic table is a tabular array of chemical elements arranged by their atomic numbers. It includes all the elements that make not just our world but also us, “humans”, and the whole universe. According to the United Nations, its invention is “one of the most significant achievements in science”. Learning the whole periodic table can be challenging for newbie chemistry students, however, following different steps, they can do it efficiently.
Eight Easy Tips to Learn Periodic Table
If you have trouble understanding the periodic table and need professional assistance with your coursework and homework, it is best to opt for professional academic writers. Here are eight easy tips to learn the period table as it is.
Tip 1: Understand the Structure of the Periodic Table
The first tip is to understand the structure of the periodic table. The periodic table consists of 118 chemical elements and they are divided into periods, groups, and blocks.
Horizontal rows in the periodic table are periods. The number of electron shells of all elements stays the same in a similar period. Vertical columns in the periodic table are groups or families. The chemical properties of the elements stay the same in the similar group. There are four blocks of the period table: s, p, d, and f. The blocks are based on the electronic configuration of elements.
Tip 2: Learn the Element Symbols and Atomic Numbers
Every element in the periodic table has been assigned a symbol. These elements are significantly used to represent elements. It can be based on the element’s first letter name or scientific name. For example, the symbols of Oxygen and Hydrogen are O and H.
Another important thing based on which elements are arranged in the period table is atomic number. It represents the number of protons in the element’s nucleus. Amotic numbers increase when you move from left to right on the periodic table.
You must learn the symbol and atomic number of each element to learn the periodic table efficiently.
Tip 3: Use Mnemonics to Enhance Memory
Another amazing tip to learn about the periodic table is to use mnemonics. It is a process of creating fun and catchy phrases or sentences according to the atomic number of elements. It significantly helps students to enhance their memory of the periodic table.
For example, the mnemonic for the first 20 elements is “Happy Henry Lives Besides Boron Cottage, Near Our Friend Nelly Nancy MgAllen. Silly Patrick Stays Close.”
For the group 2, it is “Little Bears Can’t Always Eat Honey”.
Moreover, there are different songs that aid in learning the period table efficiently.
Tip 4: Use Colors to Represent Elements
The next step is to use colours to represent elements. You can assign different colours not just for the single elements but also for periods, groups, and blocks. This will significantly help you visualize the whole structure of the periodic table and remember it well.
For instance, blue colour is used for alkali metals and red colour is used for alkaline earth metals.
Tip 5: Learn the Practical Aspects of Elements
You can also memorise the elements of the periodic table by learning their practical applications. Explore their uses in daily life and different industries, such as medicine, technology, and construction. This will significantly enhance your learning and interest of the periodic table. Every cluster of elements in the period table holds similar chemical characteristics and thus has similar applications in practical life.
For example, Carbon is used in both pencils and diamonds. Moreover, Gold (Au) is used for the production of gold and sports medals and Mercury (Hg) was used in old thermometers.
Tip 6: Understand the Trends of Elements
There are different trends of elements in the periodic table. By understanding these trends thoroughly, you can efficiently enhance your learning of the periodic table. For instance, when you move from one period to another, the atomic size decreases. However, when you move from one group to another, atomize size increases.
Similarly, the reactivity of metals increases down a group. However, it increases up a group in the case of non-metals.
Tip 7: Participate in Online Chemistry Quizzes
When you have learnt all the elements of the periodic table by their symbols and atomic numbers, you must challenge your learning by participating in different quizzes and competitions. Various online chemistry quizzes assess the periodic table understanding of students by asking them multiple-choice questions about atomic numbers, symbols, locations, groups, and blocks of the chemical elements.
By participating in quizzes, you cannot only enhance your learning but also improve your response when asked about a particular chemical element.
Tip 8: Practice Regularly For Memory Retention
The last but not the least step to easily learn the periodic table is by practising regularly. Practice is the key to every success. There is a famous quote related to practice, “Practice, practice, practice, as practice makes a man perfect”. So, practice as much as to make yourself a periodic table expert.
After reading the periodic table, listen to the periodic table song to retain it in a catchy and interesting way.
Final Thoughts
Above, we have thoroughly discussed the easy tips to learn the periodic table efficiently. Since the invention of the periodic table, scientists have found it easy to study chemical elements and their composition. It significantly enables them to study the properties of matter not just on Earth but also on the entire universe.
As we have discussed, the scientific revolution has brought us various technological gifts, one of those many gifts is the advent of artificial intelligence development. AI has changed our daily lives to a greater extent. It has transformed the way businesses operate, educational provision, and healthcare operations.