space.template.3.Lab12.Mendeleevs+Card+Game

=Mendeleevs Card Game=

In the mid 19th century, chemists were convince that elements existed in groups that had similar phyiscal or chemical properties. In spite of this widespread belief, there was no widely accepted chart to organize these elements. Our modern day periodic table, not yet in existance at this time, was the product of a Russian scientist's patience and curiosity regarding the organization of the elements. Dmitrii Mendeleev, was this very scientist, and he set out to answer this very important question: what is the relationship of the elements to one another and to the chemical families which they belong?

What he discovered what that the properties of these elements was a function of their atomic weights. In other words, he could organize the elements in order of their atomic weights and identify a pattern in this order. It all started with a game of cards...

The objective of this activity is to perform the same task that Mendeleev did, in order to identify patterns in the order of the elements.

Prelab
1.) Who was the Russian scientist that was responsible for our modern day periodic table? 2.) What question was he seeking to answer? 3.) How did he go about answering this question? 4.) What is the objective of this activity? 5.) Predict what you think might happen to the atomic weight as you go down in a group or column of the periodic table.

Procedure
1.) Arrange the cards by family (symbol in the right corner of the card) 2.) Arrange each family by boiling point. Record the order. 3.) Arrange each family by melting point. Record the order. 4.) Arrange each family by atomic weight. Record the order.

Data
Record for each family, from lowest to highest: Order of elements by boiling point: Order of elements by melting point: Order of elements by atomic weight:

Analysis
1.) How does the order of boiling point compare with the order on the periodic table? 2.) How does the order of melting point compare with the order on the periodic table? 3.) How does the order of atomic weight compare with the order on the periodic table? 4.) How does the atomic number of the elements relate to the atomic mass (ie, does atomic weight increase or decrease with atomic number) 5.) Explain your answer for the question above. Give me an example.

Conclusion
How might this order of the elements on the periodic table help us to predict the properties of other elements.