The general public may not be familiar with lanthanides, actinides, and transactinides, but these elements comprise approximately 35 percent of the total number of known elements. Attempts to pr
More so than any of the other major groups of elements in the periodic table, the transition metals have shaped human history and have been the workhorses of industry. The discovery of metallic coppe
While scientists categorize the chemical elements as metals, nonmetals, and metalloids largely based on the elements' abilities to conduct electricity at normal temperatures and pressures, there are
In spite of their adjacency in the periodic table, halogens and nonmetals have very different properties. Halogens are among the most chemically reactive elements in the periodic table, exhibiting a
Scientists categorize the chemical elements as metals, nonmetals, and metalloids largely based on the elements' abilities to conduct electricity at normal temperatures and pressures, but there are ot
Materials that are poor conductors of electricity are generally considered nonmetals. One important use of nonmetals is the ability to insulate against current flow. The Earth's atmosphere is compose
