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The Periodic Table is organized in rows called periods.

Periodic means Repeating Pattern. Since the chemical and physical properties of elements have a repeating pattern, the table that lists the elements is called a periodic table.

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11y ago
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14y ago

it is called this because it has elements and it is categorized into periods. All the elements placed in an order that every 8th element matches with the its 1st element, in behalf of their chemical properties. All the elements placed a vertical lines have similar chemical properties and ascending or descending in physical properties. vertical lines are called groups. horizontal lines are called periods.

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10y ago

Because each row is called a "period". Each column is called a "group".

The elements are arranged from lowest atomic number (the number of protons the element has in its nucleus-comprised of protons and also neutrons) in an ascending fashion to the right across a "period".

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8y ago

Because the atoms are arranged by electron shell and subshells, their properties (number of valence electrons, electronegativity, ionization energy, electron affinity, etc.) will repeat with a pattern. Periods are rows across the periodic table.

The old table of elements was arranged by atomic weights. The new one is arranged by shells and subshells (s, p, d, f...). For example, you start with the first shell that is an s-subshell (1s). The first atom, hydrogen (H), has one electron to balance with the one proton. So hydrogen's electrons = 1s^1. The second atom is helium (He). He has 2 electrons to balance with the two protons. So helium's electrons = 1s^2. Third, is lithium (Li). But notice this atom is on the second row. This second row signifies the NEW shells. This is the second shell and is an s-subshell (2s). Li = 1s^2 2s^1. The fourth atom, Be = 1s^2 2s^2. But the fifth atom, boron (B), is the first p-subshell that is also in the second shell row. B = 1s^2 2s^2 2p^1. This pattern continues until the last in the second row, Neon (Ne), Ne = 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6. When you draw out the atom and see what it really looks like with the electrons in their proper electron clouds, you start to understand how the periodic table is arranged by shells and subshells. Going left, right, up, down the shells and subshells perfectly predicts shape and behavior of the atoms.

Modern quantum mechanics describes the atomic properties in terms of their electron shells. But many significant trends are the atoms in vertical columns. These vertical columns are subshell common characteristics. For example, chlorine (Cl) is above bromine (Br) in the next to last column. The shell number (row number) indicates that Cl has one less electron shell so it is smaller and reacts more strongly than larger Br below it. The subshell number shows that Cl and Br both would love to attract 1 electron so that they look like the last column, called the noble gasses. This is why Cl and Br commonly take on another electron to fill up their p-subshell (that can hold 6; their s-subshell is already filled at 2 electrons; one row or period holds 8 electrons) so that they are happy and are not reactive like noble gases.

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13y ago

The periodic table is arranged like it is for a specific reason. It is probably called the Periodic Table because it is made up of "periods" or horizontal rows.

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13y ago

Because periodic means reoccurring and many patterns, and the periodic table of elements is made up of many, many, many different patterns.

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13y ago

Because it happened in a certain period of time

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11y ago

it's called the periodic table of elements because it has 102 elements and it's not just one element, it's 102 elements

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Q: Why is the periodic table called the periodic table?
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