How to read the periodic table
The periodic table organizes all 118 known chemical elements by their atomic number (the number of protons). Reading left to right and top to bottom, each element has one more proton than the last. The real power is in the layout: elements in the same column (group) behave alike chemically, and each row (period) fills up a new electron shell.
Use the controls above to recolor the table by category (metals, nonmetals, noble gases…), by state at room temperature (solid, liquid, gas), or by block (s, p, d, f): three different ways to see the patterns. Hover or focus any element for a quick preview, and click it to open its full page.
What you’ll find on each element
Every element links to its own page with its electron configuration, a Bohr (shell) diagram, atomic mass, electronegativity, melting and boiling points, common uses, and where it sits in the table. Browse them all from the full list of elements, or start with a familiar one like oxygen, iron, or gold.
The patterns worth knowing
- Groups share an outer-shell count. Group 1 (alkali metals) all have one outer electron and react vigorously; group 18 (noble gases) have full shells and barely react at all.
- Metals dominate. Most elements are metals (left and center); nonmetals cluster in the top right; metalloids straddle the staircase between them.
- Periods fill shells. Moving across a period adds electrons to the same shell, which is exactly what the electron configuration explorer shows step by step.
Using this with a class
Project it and recolor by block to show why the table has its shape, or have students find every gas, or every element discovered after 1900. Then make it a contest with the periodic table game: race to find each element and beat your best time. It’s free to embed on your own site or LMS using the snippet below.