GCSE Chemistry (AQA)

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Electron Configuration and the Periodic Table

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Atomic structure and the periodic table The periodic table

Electron Configuration and the Periodic Table

6:49 Periodic Table and Arrangement of Electrons
Spec 4.1.2.1
Previous Periodic Table Structure Next Development of the Periodic Table
  • The electronic structure of an element is connected to its position in the periodic table.
  • The periodic table is arranged with each symbol representing a different element.
  • The period number of an element is the same as the number of electron shells it has.
  • Periods are the rows on the periodic table; the first row includes hydrogen and helium.
  • Lithium, in the second period, has two electron shells.
  • The group number of an element is the number of electrons in its outer shell.
  • Groups are the columns on the periodic table, numbered from left to right.
  • Lithium is in group one, meaning it has one electron in its outer shell.
  • The number of outer shell electrons determines the reactions that elements undergo.
  • Chlorine has seven electrons in its outer shell, affecting its reactivity.
  • Elements in the same group have similar chemical properties due to the same number of outer electrons.
  • You need to use the periodic table to derive information about the structures of the first 20 elements and all elements in groups one and seven.
  • An element's electronic structure helps locate it in the periodic table.
  • Oxygen has eight electrons, making it the eighth element in the periodic table.
  • The number of shells in an atom tells its period number; oxygen has two shells, so it's in period two.
  • The number of electrons in the outer shell indicates the group number; oxygen has six outer electrons, placing it in group six.
  • Example: Silicon's electron configuration is 2 8 4.
  • Group number: 4 (four outer shell electrons).
  • Period number: 3 (three shells).
  • Atomic number: 14 (total electrons).
  • Silicon's position in the periodic table: group four, period three, atomic number 14.

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