Every card in The periodic table, Year 8: more practice
The whole deck, in order — so you can read it through before your child ever sees it.
- Which element has the chemical symbol Fe?
Iron
HintThe symbol comes from its Latin name, not the English one.
WhyFe comes from ferrum, the Latin word for iron. Some symbols do not match the English name, so it pays to look them up on the table.
- The modern periodic table lists the elements in order of increasing what?
Atomic number
HintIt counts the protons in each atom.
WhyEach element has one more proton than the one before it, so atomic number goes up by one from box to box. Mendeleev first ordered them by mass, but atomic number is the modern rule.
- What do the elements in the same group of the periodic table share?
Similar chemical properties (they react in similar ways)
HintThink of a group as a family.
WhyElements in a group behave alike, so knowing one member lets you predict the others. For example, lithium, sodium and potassium all react with water.
- Which gas is given off when sodium reacts with water?
Hydrogen
HintIt is the gas that gives a squeaky pop with a lit splint.
WhySodium and water make sodium hydroxide and hydrogen. The fizzing you see is the hydrogen bubbling out.
- Lithium, sodium and potassium all float on water. What does this tell you about their density?
They are less dense than water
HintCompare them with a stone, which sinks.
WhyMost metals are denser than water and sink. Group 1 metals are unusual because they are light for their size.
- Compared with most metals such as iron, do Group 1 metals have high or low melting points?
Low
HintThey are soft enough to cut with a knife.
WhySodium melts at about 98 °C, but iron needs over 1500 °C. Their low melting points and softness set Group 1 apart from the typical metal.
- Sodium burns in chlorine gas. Which compound forms?
Sodium chloride (common salt)
HintThe name of the new compound ends in -ide.
WhyA Group 1 metal and a halogen join to make a salt. Sodium chloride is the same salt that seasons food.
- How many atoms are joined together in one molecule of a halogen such as chlorine? (number only)
2
HintThe halogens go around in pairs.
WhyChlorine is written Cl2: two chlorine atoms bonded together. Fluorine, bromine and iodine are also pairs.
- Toothpaste often contains fluoride compounds to protect teeth. Which halogen are they made from?
Fluorine
HintThe compound name comes from the name of the element.
WhyFluoride compounds help make tooth enamel stronger against decay. Fluorine itself is a dangerous gas, but its compounds are safe in tiny amounts.
- Why are balloons at parties filled with helium rather than hydrogen?
Helium is unreactive and will not burn, whereas hydrogen can catch fire or explode
HintThink about what could happen near a flame.
WhyBoth gases are lighter than air, but hydrogen burns explosively. Helium belongs to the noble gases, which hardly react at all, so it is safe.
1★ KS3-CHEM-PER-0035
2★ KS3-CHEM-PER-0036
3★ KS3-CHEM-PER-0037
4★ KS3-CHEM-PER-0038
5★ KS3-CHEM-PER-0039
6★ KS3-CHEM-PER-0040
7★ KS3-CHEM-PER-0041
8★ KS3-CHEM-PER-0042
9★ KS3-CHEM-PER-0043
10★ KS3-CHEM-PER-0044
Keep what you learn
Here, nothing is saved. In your child’s own sky every card is scheduled — it comes back just before they’d forget it — and the professor who wrote it is one tap away.