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Clean Tech, Virtual Wall Street: Periodic Table by Jonathan Buhalis
The periodic table of the elements is the basic roadmap used by chemists. An element is a substance that consists of a single kind of atom. Approximately 92 different elements occur in nature. Each element has different chemical properties, although some are very hard to distinguish.

Elements can be numbered (their atomic number) starting at 1 for hydrogen and going up, based on the element's number of protons. Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869 published a sequential table of the elements laid out in rows and columns. Elements in the same column had similar chemical behavior; their properties were periodic. Furthermore, this was more than just a graphical trick. Mendeleev predicted that new elements would be found where his table had gaps, and he estimated their properties based on the known elements around it. The discoveries of scandium, gallium, and germanium proved out his predictions.

The modern periodic table (below) has been expanded. The lanthanide row and the actinide row are usually placed below the main table. But, this periodic table is still recognizably the same concept and useful. Each element has a name, an atomic number, and a one- or two-letter chemical symbol.

Many of these elements are discussed as limited resources in the sections on resource metals, precious metals, and minerals. Click on the chemical symbol for the link.
Alkali metals are reactive metals on the left side of the table.
Alkaline earth metals are slightly less reactive metals in the second column.
Rare earth metals are a group of elements with very similar chemical properties. Fifteen of them, starting with 57 lanthanum are usually placed together underneath 39 yttrium.
Actinides are heavy radioactive metals. Elements above 92 uranium are synthetic and are not found in nature(excepting traces of 93 neptunium and 94 plutonium).
Other metals include what are called the transition metals, the precious metals, and some low-melting-point metals toward the right of the table.
Metalloids have some characteristics of metals but not all.
Nonmetals are various solids and gases that do not fit the other categories.
Halogens are nonmetallic elements that are very reactive with elements to their left in the table.
Noble gases are inert gases that are always found as pure elements and do not make chemical combinations.
Dark grey elements with high atomic numbers are discovered so recently that their chemical properties are still unknown.

Periodic Table of the Elements

Alkali metals

Alkaline earth metals

Rare earth metals

Other metals

Metalloids

Nonmetals

Halo­gens

Noble gases

Hydro­gen 1 H

He­lium 2 He

Lith­ium 3 Li

Beryl­lium 4 Be

Boron 5 B

Carbon 6 C

Nitro­gen 7 N

Oxy­gen 8 O

Fluor­ine 9 F

Neon 10 Ne

So­dium 11 Na

Magne­sium 12 Mg

Alumin­um 13 Al

Sili­con 14 Si

Phos­phorus 15 P

Sulfur 16 S

Chlor­ine 17 Cl

Argon 18 Ar

Potas­sium 19 K

Cal­cium 20 Ca

Scan­dium 21 Sc

Tita­nium 22 Ti

Vana­dium 23 V

Chrom­ium 24 Cr

Manga­nese 25 Mn

Iron 26 Fe

Cobalt 27 Co

Nickel 28 Ni

Copper 29 Cu

Zinc 30 Zn

Gallium 31 Ga

Germa­nium 32 Ge

Arsenic 33 As

Sele­nium 34 Se

Bromine 35 Br

Kryp­ton 36 Kr

Rubid­ium 37 Rb

Stront­ium 38 Sr

Yttrium 39 Y

Zirco­nium 40 Zr

Nio­bium 41 Nb

Molyb­denum 42 Mo

Tech­netium 43 Tc

Ruthe­nium 44 Ru

Rho­dium 45 Rh

Pallad­ium 46 Pd

Silver 47 Ag

Cad­mium 48 Cd

Indium 49 In

Tin 50 Sn

Anti­mony 51 Sb

Tellur­ium 52 Te

Iodine 53  I

Xenon 54 Xe

Cae­sium 55 Cs

Barium 56 Ba

*

Haf­nium 72 Hf

Tanta­lum 73 Ta

Tung­sten 74 W

Rhe­nium 75 Re

Os­mium 76 Os

Iridium 77 Ir

Plat­inum 78 Pt

Gold 79 Au

Mer­cury 80 Hg

Thallium 81 Tl

Lead 82 Pb

Bis­muth 83 Bi

Polo­nium 84 Po

Asta­tine 85 At

Radon 86 Rn

Fran­cium 87 Fr

Ra­dium 88 Ra

**

Ruther­fordium 104 Rf

Dub­nium 105 Db

Sea­borgium 106 Sg

Bohr­ium 107 Bh

Has­sium 108 Hs

Meit­nerium 109 Mt

Darm­stadtium 110 Ds

Roent­genium 111 Rg

Coper­nicium 112 Cn

Unun­trium 113 Uut

Flerov­ium 114 Fl

Unun­pentium 115 Uup

Liver­morium 116 Lv

Unun­septium 117 Uus

Unun­octium 118 Uuo

*

Lan­thanum 57 La

Cerium 58 Ce

Praseo­dymium 59 Pr

Neo­dymium 60 Nd

Prome­thium 61 Pm

Sama­rium 62 Sm

Europ­ium 63 Eu

Gadolin­ium 64 Gd

Ter­bium 65 Tb

Dyspro­sium 66 Dy

Hol­mium 67 Ho

Erbium 68 Er

Thulium 69 Tm

Ytter­bium 70 Yb

Lute­tium 71 Lu

**

Actin­ium 89 Ac

Thor­ium 90 Th

Protac­tinium 91 Pa

Ura­nium 92 U

Neptu­nium 93 Np

Pluto­nium 94 Pu

Ameri­cium 95 Am

Curium 96 Cm

Berkel­ium 97 Bk

Califor­nium 98 Cf

Einstei­nium 99 Es

Fer­mium 100 Fm

Mende­levium 101 Md

Nobel­ium 102 No

Lawren­cium 103 Lr