Question Video: Identifying Which Periodic Table Category Contains the Majority of Elements | Nagwa Question Video: Identifying Which Periodic Table Category Contains the Majority of Elements | Nagwa

Question Video: Identifying Which Periodic Table Category Contains the Majority of Elements Chemistry • Second Year of Secondary School

Which of the following categories contains the majority of elements? [A] Metals [B] Non-metals [C] Transition elements [D] Noble gases [E] Third-period elements

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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.

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