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8th grade Reading the periodic table worksheet

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Reading the periodic table

Grade 8 Science Worksheet

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Circle the best answer.

  1. An atom has 12 protons. Using the two tiles, which element is it, Ari?

    • Magnesium, with atomic number 12
    • Carbon, with mass about 12.0
    • Either one; the numbers match
    • Neither one
  2. An atom has 4 protons. Using the two tiles, which element is it, Esme?

    • Helium, with mass about 4.0
    • Either one; the numbers match
    • Neither one
    • Beryllium, with atomic number 4
  3. Using the strip, which element should behave most like sodium, Jun?

    • Potassium, in the same group
    • Chlorine, in period 3 too
    • Beryllium
    • Magnesium, next to it in period 3
  4. Using the strip, which element should behave most like fluorine, Kira?

    • Oxygen, in period 2 too
    • Neon, next to it in period 2
    • Chlorine, in the same group
    • Sulfur
  5. Using the strip, which element should behave most like magnesium, Luz?

    • Sodium, in period 3 too
    • Potassium
    • Aluminum, next to it in period 3
    • Calcium, in the same group
  6. Read this first

    Use this

    Outline of the periodic table (IUPAC) with a thick staircase line from boron down to tellurium. Metals are shaded on the left and in the middle; nonmetals are unshaded on the right; the elements along the staircase (B, Si, Ge, As, Sb, Te) are dotted as metalloids. Hydrogen, at the top left, is unshaded.

  7. Germanium sits on the staircase line. How should Milo classify it?

    • Metalloid
    • A gas
    • Metal, since metals sit on the right
    • Nonmetal, since it is not shiny
  8. Copper sits in the middle of the table. How should Noah classify it?

    • Noble gas
    • Metal
    • Nonmetal, since metals are on the right
    • Metalloid
  9. Bromine sits on the right, past the staircase. How should Pia classify it?

    • Metal, since it is a liquid
    • Nonmetal
    • Metal, since it is on the right
    • Metalloid
  10. Using the strip, which group is oxygen in, Tala?

    • Group 16
    • Group 2, its row
    • Group 8, its atomic number
    • Group 1
  11. Using the strip, where is iron, Zee?

    Use the picture in question 9.

    • Period 26, group 4
    • Period 8, group 4
    • Period 4, group 26
    • Period 4, group 8
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8th grade Reading the periodic table worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

Reading the periodic table. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can read a tile: the atomic number (protons), the symbol, the name and the average atomic mass.
  • I can find an element's group (column) and period (row), and predict that a group behaves alike.
  • I can sort elements into metals, nonmetals and metalloids using the staircase, and explain that the table is ordered by atomic number.

Standard: MS-PS1-1 (supporting)

Words to know

element tile: One box of the table: number, symbol, name, mass

symbol: One or two letters for an element; the first is a capital

group: A column; its elements behave alike

period: A row across the table

metal / nonmetal: Left and middle / right of the staircase

metalloid: An element along the staircase line, with some metal-like properties

average atomic mass: The decimal number on the tile

Common mistakes

Your child mixed up the atomic number and the atomic mass on a tile. The atomic number is the whole number that counts the protons.

Your child mixed up groups and periods. Groups are columns (top to bottom); periods are rows (left to right).

Your child put the metals on the wrong side of the table. Metals are on the left and in the middle; nonmetals are on the right of the staircase.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with reading the periodic table?

Your child mixed up the atomic number and the atomic mass on a tile. The atomic number is the whole number that counts the protons.

Are these 8th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

More grade 8 science

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