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List of Earth's Elements

Earth's elements are commonly organized into 9 to 10 main categories, called families, on the Periodic Table of Elements. As of 2011, there are 118 elements recognized on the periodic table. According to the Health Physics Society, of the first 92 elements, only 90 can be found in nature; the rest were synthesized by man. The periodic table is in constant flux as science continues to discover and create new elements and familial classifications.
  1. Alkali Earth Metals

    • According to the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), Alkali earth metals are very reactive; a reactive element is capable of combining with other elements. However, alkali earth metals are less dense than other metals. They are: Lithium (Li), Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Rubidium (Rb), Cesium (Cs) and Francium (Fr).

    Alkaline Earth Metals

    • The RSC says that Alkaline earth metals are silver or white in color, and are reactive, but not as reactive as alkali earth metals. They are: Beryllium (Be), Magnesium (Mg), Calcium (Ca), Strontium (Sa), Barium (Ba) and Radium (Ra).

    Transitional Metals

    • Transitional metals are very hard and have high boiling points, which make them good for electrical conductivity. They are: Scandium (Sc), Titanium (Ti), Vanadium (V), Chromium (Cr), Manganese (Mn), Iron (Fe), Cobalt (Co), Nickel (Ni), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Yttrium (Y), Zirconium (Zr), Niobium (Nb), Molybdenum (Mo), Technetium (Tc), Ruthenium (Ru), Rhodium (Rh), Palladium (Pd), Silver (Ag), Cadmium (Cd), Hafnium (Hf), Tantalum (Ta), Tungsten (W), Rhenium (Re), Osmium (Os), Iridium (Ir), Platinum (Pu), Gold (Au), Mercury (Hg), Rutherfordium (Rf), Dubnium (Db), Seaborgium (Sg), Bohrium (Bh), Hassium (Hs), Meitnerium (Mt), Darmstadtium (Ds), Roentgenium (Rg) and Copernicium (Cn).

    Lanthanoids

    • Lanthanoids are silvery in color, soft and typically toxic. They are: Lanthanum (La), Cerium (Ce), Praseodymium (Pr), Neodymium (Nd), Promethium (Pm), Samarium (Sm), Europium (Eu), Gadolinium (Gd), Terbium (Tb), Dysprosium (Dy), Holmium (Ho), Erbium (Er), Thulium (Tm), Ytterbium (Yb) and Lutetium (Lu).

    Actinoids

    • The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) states that Actinoids occur naturally, but are also manmade. They're radioactive and are used frequently in nuclear power plants. They are: Actinium (Ac), Thorium (Th), Protactinium (Pa), Uranium (U), Neptunium (Np), Plutonium (Pu), Americium (Am), Curium (Cm), Berkelium (Bk), Californium (Cf), Einsteinium (Es), Fermium (Fm), Mendelevium (Md), Nobelium (No) and Lawrencium (Lr).

    Post Transition Metals

    • Post transition metals are dense, have high boiling points and conduct electricity well. They are: Aluminum (Al), Gallium (Ga), Indium (In), Tin (Sn), Thallium (Tl), Lead (Pb), Bismuth (Bi), Ununtrium (Uut), Ununquadium (Uuq), Ununpentium (Uup) and Ununhexium (Uuh).

    Metalloids

    • The metalloids family includes elements that act as both metals and non-metals. Some metalloids, according to the LANL, are reactive and can make good semiconductors. They are: Boron (B), Silicon (Si), Germanium (Ge), Arsenic (As), Antimony (Sb), Tellurium (Te) and Polonium (Po).

    Other Non-Metals

    • Non-metals are poor electrical conductors and are typically quite brittle. They are: Carbon (C), Nitrogen (N), Oxygen (O), Phosphorus (P), Sulfur (S) and Selenium (Se).

    Halogens

    • The LANL state that Halogens can vary between solid, liquid and gaseous states at room temperature and are highly reactive. They are: Fluorine (F), Chlorine (Cl), Bromine (Br), Iodine (I), Astatine (At) and Ununseptium (Uus).

    Noble Gases

    • Noble gases have low boiling points, are inert, which means they rarely react with other elements. They are: Helium (He), Neon (Ne), Argon (Ar), Krypton (Kr), Xenon (Xe), Radon (Rn) and Ununoctium (Uuo).

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