Course Outline

General Chemistry

04/25/09

Regions

Main group or representative elements

Elements found in the tallest groups of the periodic table are the main group or representative elements. Elements in this region of the periodic table are the most reactive (except the noble gases) and the most predictable with respect to periodic trends.

Transition elements

The transition elements are the elements found in the middle region of the periodic table in a rectangle formed with the elements scandium, zinc, actinium, and roentgenium at the corners. Elements in this region of the periodic table are metals that do not follow the periodic trends as well as the representative elements.

Inner transition elements

Inner transition elements are found in the bottom two rows of the periodic table. These elements are similar to the transition elements. In fact, if you scan the atomic numbers from 58 to 72 and from 89 to 104, you will see that the inner transition elements actually belong inside the transition area. The top row of inner transition elements is also called the lanthanide series, because these elements follow lanthanum, atomic number 57. The bottom row of inner transition elements is also called the actinide series, because these elements follow actinium, atomic number 89.

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