Grade 8 · Science

8th grade Reading the periodic table worksheet

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Reading the periodic table

Grade 8 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

1.
Ari reads the sodium tile. What is sodium's atomic number?
- 11
- Na
- 23.0
2.
Using the iron tile, how many protons does an iron atom have, Bo?
- 26 protons
- 56 protons
- 55.8 protons
3.
Atomic number 79 at the top, symbol Au in the middle, name gold, average atomic mass 197.0 at the bottom. Esme reads the gold tile. Which number is gold's average atomic mass?
- 79
- 197.0
- Au
4.
Jun learns two words for the periodic table. What is a group?
- A block of metals
- A row
- A column
5.
Using the strip, which elements are in period 2, Kira?
- Just Li and Be
- Li through Ne, across the row
- Li, Na and K
6.
Lithium, sodium and potassium sit in one column. What do they share, Luz?
- The same group, group 1
- The same mass
- The same period
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.
Silicon sits right on the staircase line. What kind of element is it, Pia?
- A metal, like the right side
- A nonmetal
- A metalloid
8.
Ren looks up iron on the periodic table. What is its symbol?
- Ir
- I
- Fe
9.
Which element has the symbol K, Tala?
- Calcium
- Potassium
- Krypton
10.
Zee sees Na on a salt label. Which element is Na?
- Nitrogen
- Sodium
- Neon

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

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)

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

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.

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.

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