1. Home
  2. Education
  3. Chemistry

Groups of Elements

One reason the periodic table of the elements is so useful is because it is a means of arranging elements according to their similar properties. There are multiple ways of grouping the elements, but they are commonly divided into metals, semimetals, and nonmetals. You'll find more specific groups, like transition metals, rare earths, alkali metals, alkaline earths, halogens, and noble gases. Click on an element to read about the chemical and physical properties of the group to which that element belongs.

Click here for the list of element symbols.
1
H
2
He
3
Li
4
Be
5
B
6
C
7
N
8
O
9
F
10
Ne
11
Na
12
Mg
13
Al
14
Si
15
P
16
S
17
Cl
18
Ar
19
K
20
Ca
21
Sc
22
Ti
23
V
24
Cr
25
Mn
26
Fe
27
Co
28
Ni
29
Cu
30
Zn
31
Ga
32
Ge
33
As
34
Se
35
Br
36
Kr
37
Rb
38
Sr
39
Y
40
Zr
41
Nb
42
Mo
43
Tc
44
Ru
45
Rh
46
Pd
47
Ag
48
Cd
49
In
50
Sn
51
Sb
52
Te
53
I
54
Xe
55
Cs
56
Ba
57
La
72
Hf
73
Ta
74
W
75
Re
76
Os
77
Ir
78
Pt
79
Au
80
Hg
81
Tl
82
Pb
83
Bi
84
Po
85
At
86
Rn
87
Fr
88
Ra
89
Ac
104
Rf
105
Db
106
Sg
107
Bh
108
Hs
109
Mt
110
Ds
111
Rg
112
112
58
Ce
59
Pr
60
Nd
61
Pm
62
Sm
63
Eu
64
Gd
65
Tb
66
Dy
67
Ho
68
Er
69
Tm
70
Yb
71
Lu
90
Th
91
Pa
92
U
93
Np
94
Pu
95
Am
96
Cm
97
Bk
98
Cf
99
Es
100
Fm
101
Md
102
No
103
Lr


Color Key

Metal Nonmetal
Alkali
Metal
Alkaline
Earth
Metal

Inner-Transition Transition
Metal

Metal Metalloid Nonmetal Halogen Noble
Gas

Lanthanide
Actinide Transactinide

More Element Information

Explore Chemistry

About.com Special Features

A Smarter Future

Tips that will help finance your education, excel in the classroom, and advance your career. More >

How to Ace the GRE

Being well prepared is the first step; here are more essential suggestions. More >

  1. Home
  2. Education
  3. Chemistry

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.