In this module, the mystery of the periodic table will be unlocked. What is the significance of the odd shape of the table? What about the location of an element on the periodic table? What does that tell us about that element? After this module you will know all of this and much more. We will use the periodic table to determine the state of an element at room temperature, whether the element is a metal, nonmetal, or metalloid, the number of valence electrons, the charge that the atom acquires when it becomes an ion, and the electron distribution. We will use the periodic table to study trends in atomic radius, ionization energy, and electron affinity.

Elements combine to form ionic compounds, covalent compounds, also known as molecules, and metals. In this module, we will learn the process that elements undergo to transfer electrons, which results in ionic bonds. We will also look at how electrons are shared between atoms, both equally and unequally, to result in covalent bonds. We will also determine which conditions are favorable for each type of bond. In addition to ionic and covalent bonding, we will touch on metallic bonding. We will draw electron dot diagrams and use those diagrams to draw more complex Lewis structures. Ideas introduced in this module will be important in every module that follows.

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