Science Trek | Chemistry: What's Your Atomic Number?

(SCIENCE TREK MUSIC) JOAN CARTAN-HANSEN, HOST: Elements are organized into what's called the periodic table.

But how did they decide what went where?

When organizing elements, you start with their atoms.

Atoms are made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons.

The number of protons in one atom of an element is its atomic number.

Hydrogen has one proton, so its atomic number is one.

Carbon atoms have six protons, so its atomic number is six.

Elements also each have a unique atomic mass.

The atom's mass primarily comes from the protons and neutrons in the atom's nucleus.

Elements are then organized by periods and groups.

Elements in the same period have similar numbers of what's called, atomic orbitals, the space where electrons exist.

The elements in a group share physical and chemical properties.

That may seem pretty complicated, so just remember that the periodic table is put together based on the number of protons and how the electrons in each element are organized.

For more information about Chemistry, check out the Science Trek website.

You'll find it at ScienceTrek.org.

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