Demystifying Hazmat Chemistry

STUDENT HANDOUT
DEMYSTIFYING HAZMAT CHEMISTRY
The Periodic Table of Elements
Elements on the periodic table are arranged according to their atomic structure. The illustration
below is that of a blank periodic table designed to show how an element’s position on the periodic
table will give you some basic information about its characteristics. (A complete periodic table is
shown on the following page.)
Metals are located on the left side of the periodic table; nonmetals, on the right. (Notice the dividing
line between metals and nonmetals.) Hydrogen, in the upper left-hand corner is also a nonmetal.
Trends on the Periodic Table
The elements become heavier as you go lower on the table, which is significant with respect to
vapor density, specific gravity, and other related properties. Elements toward the left side of the
periodic table are larger, whereas those toward the right side are smaller and more compact.
The periodic table on the following page shows each element by name, symbol, and atomic number.
(The atomic weight was rounded to three decimal points where the number was less than 100.
Atomic weights over 100 were rounded to two decimal points.) The symbols consist of either a
single capital letter (for example, H for hydrogen) or a capital letter followed by a lowercase letter
(for example, He for helium.)
Key to the Periodic Table on the Following Page
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