Periodic Table Vocabulary Handout

Periodic Table The arrangement of elements on a table based on their atomic number Period A horizontal row on the Periodic Table* Group A vertical column on the Periodic Table Element A pure substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances Compound A combination of 2 or more elements that are chemically combined Atom The smallest particle that has the properties of an element* Nucleus The center of an atom, made up of protons and neutrons * Proton A particle in the nucleus with a positive charge* Neutron A particle in the nucleus with a neutral, or no, charge* Electron The negatively charged particle in the electron cloud surrounding the nucleus Chemical Symbol An abbreviated, one or two letter symbol, used to write an elements name, beginning with a capital letter* Atomic Number The number of protons in an element (the uppermost number on each elemental square on the table)* Atomic Weight/Mass How heavy an atom is (Number of protons + number of neutrons)* Atomic Mass Unit (amu) A quantity equal to 1/12 the mass of a Carbon-12 atom (unit used to measure atomic mass)*

Atomic Number = # of protons

He
4.003

Chemical Symbol
Atomic Mass in amu