Video Transcript
Which of the following categories
contains the majority of elements? (A) Metals, (B) nonmetals, (C)
transition elements, (D) noble gases, or (E) third-period elements.
To answer the question, we need to
examine the periodic table. The periodic table is a diagram
that lists all 118 known elements in a very specific order. The horizontal rows of the periodic
table are called periods. The vertical columns are known as
groups. Some of these groups have special
names. For example, the metals of group
one are the alkali metals, the elements of group two make up the alkaline earth
metals, the elements of group 17 are the halogens, and the elements in group 18 are
the noble gases.
The elements that make up the
periodic table are either classified as metals, nonmetals, or metalloids. It should be noted that not much is
known about the last few elements of period seven because they’ve only been
artificially synthesized in very small quantities, but we might expect them to act
as metals or nonmetals as shown.
We should also be aware that some
periodic tables have minor differences in terms of which elements are labeled as
metalloids. The metals that make up the
majority of the middle section of the periodic table and the two rows at the bottom
are called transition metals or transition elements. More specifically, the lanthanides
and actinides make up the inner transition metals.
Now that we have some background
information about the periodic table, we can determine which of the categories
provided contains the majority of elements. Most of the elements on the
periodic table are metals. Approximately 93 elements are
metals, depending on how the artificially synthesized elements are classified.
Only about 18 of the elements are
classified as nonmetals. 64 elements are grouped as
transition elements or transition metals. There are seven noble gases,
including helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, radon, and oganesson. The third period contains eight
elements.
Ino cnclusion, the category that
contains the majority of elements is answer choice (A), metals.