Periodic Classification of Elements

Textbook Exercises

I. Choose the correct answer.

Question 1.
If Dobereiner is related with ‘law of triads’, then Newlands is related with
……………………
(a) Modern periodic law
(b) Hund’s rule
(c) Law of octaves
(d) Pauli’s Exclusion principle
Answer:
(c) Law of octaves

Question 2.
Modem periodic law states that the physical and chemical properties of elements are
the periodic functions of their ……………
(a) atomic numbers
(b) atomic masses
(c) similarities
(d) anomalies
Answer:
(a) atomic numbers

Question 3.
Elements in the modem periodic table are arranged in …………. groups and
………. periods.
(a) 7, 18
(b) 18,7
(c) 17,8
(d) 8, 17
Answer:
(b) 18,7

II. Fill in the blanks.

1. In Dobereiner’s triads, the atomic weight of the middle element is the

……………….. of the atomic masses of 1st and 3rd elements.
2. Noble gases belong to ……………….. group of the periodic table.
3. The basis of the classifications proposed by Dobereiner, Newlands and
Mendeleev was …………………..
4. Example for liquid metal is …………………..

Answer:

1. average
2. 18th
3. atomic masses
4. Mercury

III. Match the following.

Column – I Column – II
1. Traids (a) Newlands
2. Alkali metal (b) Calcium
3. Law of octaves (c) Henry Moseley
4. Alkali earth metal (d) Sodium
5. Modem Periodic Law (e) Dobereiner

Answer:

1. (e) Dobereiner
2. (d) Sodium
3. (a) Newlands
4. (b) Calcium
5. (c) Henry Moseley

IV. State whether True or False.

 1. Newlands’ periodic table is based on atomic masses of elements and modem
periodic table is based on atomic number of elements – True
2. Metals can gain electrons – False.
Correct Statement: Metals tend to lose electrons to attain Noble Gas electron
configuration.
3. Alloys bear the characteristics of both metals and nonmetals – False
Correct Statement: An alloy is a mixture of metals or a mixture of a metal and
another element.
4. Lanthanides and actinides are kept at the bottom of the periodic table because
they resemble each other but they do not resemble with any other group
elements – True
5. Group 17 elements are named as Halogens – True

V. Assertion and Reason

Statement: Elements in a group generally possess similar properties but elements

along a period have different properties.
Reason: The difference in electronic configuration makes the element differ in their
chemical properties along a period.
(a) Statement is true and reason explains the statement.
(b) Statement is false but the reason is correct.
Answer:
(a) Statement is tme and reason explains the statement.

VI. Answer the following.

Question 1.
State modern periodic law.
Answer:
The modem periodic law states that:
“The Chemical and Physical properties of elements are periodic functions of their
atomic numbers”.

Question 2.
What are groups and periods in the modern periodic table?
Answer:

The horizontal rows are called periods. There are seven periods in the
periodic table.
Vertical columns in the periodic table starting from top to bottom are called
groups. There are 18 groups in the periodic table.
Question 3.
What are the limitations of Mendeleev’s periodic table?
Limitations of Mendeleev’s periodic table:
Answer:

Elements with large difference in properties were included in the same group.
Eg: Hard metals like copper (Cu) and silver (Ag) were included along with
soft metals like sodium (Na) and potassium (K).
No proper position could be given to the element hydrogen. Non-metallic
hydrogen was placed along with metals like lithium (Li), sodium (Na) and
potassium (K).
The increasing order of atomic mass was not strictly followed throughout. Eg.
Co & Ni, Te &I.
No place for isotopes in the periodic table.

Question 4.
State any five features of modern periodic table.
Answer:

All the elements are arranged in the increasing order of their atomic number
The horizontal rows are called periods. There are seven periods in the
periodic table.
The elements are placed in periods based on the number of shells in their
atoms
Vertical columns in the periodic table starting from top to bottom are called
groups. There are 18 groups in the periodic table
Based on the physical and chemical properties of elements, they are grouped
into various families.

Activity

Question 1.
Find the pair of elements having similar properties by applying Newlands law of
Octaves (Example: Mg & Ca):
Set I: F, Mg, C, O, B
Set II: Al, Si, S, Cl, Ca
Answer:

Set I: F Mg C 0 B
Set II: Cl Ca Si s Al
Additional Questions

I. Short answers questions.

Question 1.
Why did the classification of elements evolve?
Answer:
Scientists found it difficult to organize all that was known about the elements.
Therefore they started looking for some pattern in their properties, and the concepts
of classification of elements were proposed by various scientists. This led to the
evolution of classification of elements from early to modem period.

Question 2.
What is a triads group?
Answer:
Johann Wolfgang Dobereiner arranged the elements into groups containing three
elements each based on their relative,atomic masses. He called these groups as
‘triads’ also known as Dobereiner’s Triads.

Question 3.
Explain law of octaves.
Answer:
John Newlands arranged 56 known elements in the increasing order of their atomic
mass. He observed that every eighth element had properties similar to those of the
first element like the eighth note in an octave of music is similar to the first and this
arrangement was known as “law’ of octaves”.

Question 4.
What is a periodic table?
Answer:
Dmitri Mendeleev proposed the law of periodicity which states that “the physical
and chemical properties of elements are the periodic functions of their atomic
masses”. He arranged 56 elements known at that time according to his law of
periodicity. This was best known as the short form of periodic table.

Question 5.
What is IUPAC? Where is it located? Give examples of few elements named by
IUPAC.
Answer:
IUPAC stands for-The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. It is an
international organization that represents Chemists from various countries. IUPAC
is registered in Zurich, Switzerland and has its.secretarate in United States.

Question 6.
How are metals classified in the periodic table?
Answer:
Metals occupy a larger area in the periodic table and are categorized as follows –

Alkali metals eg. – Sodium and Potassium

Alkaline earth metals eg. – Calcium and Magnesium
Transition metals eg. – Iron and Nickel
Other metals eg. – Aluminium and Tin

Question 7.
What are alkali metals?
Answer:
The elements of group 1 (except hydrogen) are metals. They react with water to
form solutions that are highly alkaline or basic. Hence they are called alkali metals.

Question 8.
Though they are found rare, they have many uses. Justify this statement.
Answer:
Helium, Neon, Argon, Krypton, Xenon and Radon are called the Noble or rare gases
and are placed in group 18 in the periodic table. They are monoatomic and do not
react with other substances easily. Though these gases are chemically inert, they
have stable electronic . structures which are difficult to change. Their uses are as
follows –

1. Helium has a very low density and used for filling weather ballon.
2. Neon gas is used in discharge lamps.
3. Argon is filled in electrical bulbs to prevent evaporation of the filament.
4. Radon is a radioactive gas.

II. Long answers questions.

Question 1.
Write any five advantages of modern periodic law.
Answer:

The table is based on a more fundamental property i.e., atomic number.

It correlates the position of the element with its electronic configuration more
clearly.
 The completion of each period is more logical. In a period, as the atomic
number increases, the energy shells are gradually filled up until an inert gas
configuration is reached.
Each group is an independent group and the idea of subgroups has been
discarded.
One position for all isotopes of an element is justified, since the isotopes have
the same atomic number.

Question 2.
Explain limitations of Mendelev’s periodic table and why is the modern periodic
table considered an extension of Mendelev’s periodic table.
Limitations of Mendelev’s periodic table –
(a) Elements with large difference in properties were included in the same group.
Eg. Elard metals like copper (Cu) and silver (Ag) were included along with soft
metals like sodium and potassium
(b) No proper position could be given to the element hydrogen. Non-metallic
Hydrogen was placed along with metals like lithium, sodium and potassium.
(c) The increasing order of atomic mass was not strictly followed throughout. Eg. –
Co & Ni, te & I.
(d) No place for isotopes in the periodic table.
The modem periodic table is an extension of the original Mendeleev’s periodic table
and is known as the long form of periodic table. Mendeleev’s initial table had 63
elements, modem table has 109 elements. It is also known important to note how the
modem periodic table is arranged.

Although the columns which reflect a natural order have been retained, the row’s of
the modem table show elements in the order of Mendeleev’s columns. In other
words the elements of what we now call ‘a period’ were listed vertically by
Mendeleev. ‘Groups are now shown vertically in contrast to their horizontal format
in Mendeleev’s table.

Question 3.
What are the advantages of alloys?

Alloys do not get corroded or get corroded to very less extent.

They are harder and stronger than pure metals (example: gold is mixed with
copper and it is harder than pure gold).
They have less conductance than pure metals (example: copper is good
conductor of heat and electricity whereas brass and bronze are not good
conductors).
 Some alloys have lower melting point than pure metals (example: solder is an
alloy of lead and tin which has lower melting point than each of the metals).
When metal is alloyed with mercury, it is called amalgam.

Question 4.
Explain the uniqueness of Hydrogen.
Answer:
Hydrogen is the lightest, smallest and first element of the periodic table. Its
electronic configuration (Is1) is the simplest of all the elements. It occupies a unique
position in the periodic table. It behaves like alkali metals as well as halogens in its
properties. In the periodic table, it is placed at the top of the alkali metals.

1. Hydrogen can lose its only electron to form a hydrogen ion (H+) like alkali
metals.
2. It can also gain one electron to form the hydride ion (H-) like halogens.
3. Alkali metals are solids while hydrogen is a gas.