Outline of Representative Metals, Metalloids, and Nonmetals
- Periodicity
- Occurrence and Preparation of the Representative Metals
- Structure and General Properties of the Metalloids
- Structure and General Properties of the Nonmetals
- Occurrence, Preparation, and Compounds of Hydrogen
- Occurrence, Preparation, and Properties of Carbonates
- Occurrence, Preparation, and Properties of Nitrogen
- Occurrence, Preparation, and Properties of Phosphorus
- Occurrence, Preparation, and Compounds of Oxygen
- Occurrence, Preparation, and Properties of Sulfur
- Occurrence, Preparation, and Properties of Halogens
- Occurrence, Preparation, and Properties of the Noble Gases
The development of the periodic table in the mid-1800s came from observations that there was a periodic relationship between the properties of the elements. Chemists, who have an understanding of the variations of these properties, have been able to use this knowledge to solve a wide variety of technical challenges. For example, silicon and other semiconductors form the backbone of modern electronics because of our ability to fine-tune the electrical properties of these materials. This module explores important properties of representative metals, metalloids, and nonmetals in the periodic table.
Figure 1. Purity is extremely important when preparing silicon wafers. Technicians in a cleanroom prepare silicon without impurities (left). The CEO of VLSI Research, Don Hutcheson, shows off a pure silicon wafer (center). A silicon wafer covered in Pentium chips is an enlarged version of the silicon wafers found in many electronics used today (right). (credit middle: modification of work by “Intel Free Press”/Flickr; credit right: modification of work by Naotake Murayama)