Interactive Periodic Table — Element Properties, Groups, and Trends

How to Use the Interactive Periodic Table

1. Open the interactive periodic table.
2. Click any element to see its full data panel: atomic number, symbol, full name, atomic mass, group, period, block, electron configuration, electronegativity, ionisation energy, melting/boiling points, density, and discovery year.
3. Use the colour mode to highlight elements by category (metals, non-metals, metalloids), block (s, p, d, f), or physical state at room temperature.
4. Use the search to jump to any element by name, symbol, or atomic number.

Element Groups and Their Properties

Structure of the Periodic Table

Periods (rows)

Elements in the same period have the same number of electron shells. Period 1 has 1 shell (H, He); Period 2 has 2 shells (Li–Ne); Period 3 has 3 shells (Na–Ar), and so on. Moving across a period, the nuclear charge increases by one proton each step while electrons are added to the same shell.

Groups (columns)

Elements in the same group have the same number of electrons in their outermost (valence) shell. This gives them similar chemical behaviour. Group 1 elements all have 1 valence electron; Group 7 halogens all have 7 valence electrons; Group 0 noble gases have full outer shells (8, except helium with 2).

Blocks

The periodic table is divided into four blocks based on which subshell holds the highest-energy electrons:

• s-block (Groups 1–2 + He): valence electrons in s orbitals
• p-block (Groups 13–18 exc. He): valence electrons in p orbitals
• d-block (transition metals, Groups 3–12): valence electrons in d orbitals
• f-block (lanthanides + actinides): valence electrons in f orbitals

Periodic Trends

Electron Configuration

Electron configuration describes how electrons are arranged in an atom's shells and subshells. Each subshell (s, p, d, f) holds a specific maximum number of electrons: s=2, p=6, d=10, f=14.

Notation: carbon (6 electrons) = 1s² 2s² 2p²

Rules for filling orbitals:

• Aufbau principle: Fill lower energy orbitals first (1s before 2s, 2s before 2p, etc.)
• Pauli exclusion principle: Each orbital holds at most 2 electrons with opposite spins
• Hund's rule: Within a subshell, electrons fill each orbital singly before pairing

The interactive periodic table displays the full electron configuration for every element, following the actual filling order (which has exceptions for Cr, Cu, and others due to extra stability of half-filled and fully filled d subshells).

Metals, Non-Metals, and Metalloids

Metals (~80% of elements)

Metals are typically shiny, malleable (can be hammered into sheets), ductile (can be drawn into wires), and conduct heat and electricity. They tend to lose electrons (low ionisation energy) and form positive ions. Metals occupy the left and centre of the table. Most transition metals have high melting points, hardness, and density compared to s-block metals.

Non-metals (~17 elements)

Non-metals are generally poor conductors, brittle when solid, and tend to gain electrons (form negative ions) or share electrons in covalent bonds. They occupy the top-right corner of the table. Includes all noble gases, all halogens, and elements such as C, N, O, P, S, Se.

Metalloids / semimetals

Metalloids (boron, silicon, germanium, arsenic, antimony, tellurium) have properties intermediate between metals and non-metals. Silicon and germanium are semiconductors — their electrical conductivity is between that of metals and insulators. This property makes them the basis of all modern electronics (transistors, solar cells, integrated circuits).

Key Individual Elements

Hydrogen (H, Z=1)

The simplest and most abundant element in the universe. Usually classified separately from any group. Forms H₂ molecules. Can act as either a metal (loses electron → H⁺) or a non-metal (gains electron → H⁻). Essential to water, acids, and organic molecules.

Carbon (C, Z=6)

The basis of all organic chemistry. Carbon forms four bonds through sp³ hybridisation, enabling an essentially unlimited range of molecular structures. The three allotropes — diamond (hardest natural substance), graphite (soft conductor), and graphene (single layer, extraordinary properties) — illustrate how structure determines properties.

Iron (Fe, Z=26)

The most abundant element in Earth's core; the most widely used metal. Its variable oxidation states (+2 and +3) enable rich chemistry. Iron's role in haemoglobin (oxygen transport in blood) and catalysis makes it biologically essential.

Discovering and Predicting Elements

Dmitri Mendeleev published his periodic table in 1869, arranging 63 known elements by atomic weight and deliberately leaving gaps for undiscovered elements — predicting their properties from the patterns of neighbours. His predictions for eka-boron (gallium), eka-aluminium (scandium), and eka-silicon (germanium) were confirmed within 15 years with remarkable accuracy.

The periodic table now contains 118 confirmed elements. Elements 1–94 occur naturally; elements 95–118 are synthetic (produced in nuclear reactors or particle accelerators). The heaviest elements (oganesson, Z=118) are extremely unstable, existing for less than a millisecond.

Common Questions

How many elements are there?

118 elements are currently confirmed and named. All have been detected or synthesised, though the superheavy elements (Z > 104) are extremely short-lived. Elements up to Z=94 (plutonium) include naturally occurring ones; elements 95–118 are entirely synthetic. Searches continue for island of stability — theoretical superheavy elements that might be stable enough to characterise chemically.

Why do transition metals form coloured compounds?

Transition metal ions have partially filled d orbitals. When ligands (molecules or ions) coordinate to the metal, the d orbitals split into groups of different energy. Electrons can absorb visible light photons to jump between these energy levels — the absorbed colour's complement is what we see. Copper(II) compounds are typically blue; iron(III) compounds are rust-orange; cobalt(II) is pink; chromium(III) is green.

What is electronegativity?

Electronegativity (Pauling scale) measures an atom's tendency to attract electrons in a covalent bond toward itself. Fluorine (3.98) is the most electronegative element; francium (~0.7) the least. When two atoms with very different electronegativities form a bond, the electron pair is pulled strongly toward the more electronegative atom, creating a polar covalent bond or, at the extreme, an ionic bond.