Page 121 - The Periodic Table Book
P. 121

Ac
                       –Lr





                             Ac    Th    Pa    U    Np    Pu   Am    Cm    Bk    Cf    Es   Fm    Md    No    Lr




           Actinides









           These metals are named after actinium (Ac), the first member of the
           group. Although this group is often shown as the bottom row in the
           periodic table, to save space, they actually sit between radium (Ra),
           an alkali earth metal, and Rutherfodium (Rf), a transition metal. All
           the elements in this group are radioactive, and the final nine members
           are artificially produced in laboratories.





















                Atomic structure         Physical properties       Chemical properties           Compounds
               All the elements in    Natural actinides are dense   The actinides are reactive   Actinides form colourful
               this group have two     metals with high melting   metals and are never found   compounds with halogens.
             electrons in their outer   points. The physical properties   in pure form in nature. They   Most actinide ores also
            shell. Their atoms all have   of most of the artificial    react easily with air, the   contain compounds of
              seven electron shells.     ones are unknown.        halogens, and sulfur (S).  oxygen (O) called oxides.





   118-119_Actinides_Opener.indd   119                                                                           02/12/16   6:52 pm
   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126