What is the periodic table, and how are elements organized?

 The periodic table is a chart that organizes all known chemical elements based on their atomic number (number of protons).

How elements are organized:

• Rows (Periods): Elements are arranged in order of increasing atomic number from left to right.
• Columns (Groups): Elements with similar chemical properties are placed in the same column because they have the same number of electrons in their outer shell.
• Blocks: The table is divided into blocks (s, p, d, f) based on electron configurations.

Purpose:

• The periodic table helps predict the behavior and properties of elements, showing trends like reactivity, electronegativity, and atomic size.