Element category
Identify what type of element each one is.
Every element belongs to a category that explains its chemical behavior. Metals dominate the left and middle, halogens sit in group 17, noble gases close out group 18, and a thin diagonal of metalloids divides metals from nonmetals. Transition metals fill the middle block. This quiz cycles through all 118 elements and asks you to classify each into one of six categories.
How many questions?
Frequently asked questions
How are elements categorised on the periodic table?
This site uses six categories: metals, nonmetals, metalloids, noble gases, halogens, and transition metals. They reflect bonding behaviour, conductivity, and reactivity rather than just position.
What makes a metal different from a nonmetal?
Metals are typically shiny, conduct heat and electricity well, are malleable, and lose electrons in reactions. Nonmetals are usually dull, poor conductors, brittle when solid, and tend to gain or share electrons.
Why are noble gases called "noble"?
Their outermost electron shell is full, so they don't readily react with other elements. That chemical aloofness, noble as in unreactive, gives the group its name.
Where do metalloids sit and why?
Metalloids form a diagonal staircase from boron down to astatine, separating metals on the left from nonmetals on the right. Their properties sit between the two groups: partial conductivity, mixed bonding, often useful as semiconductors.
Are all transition metals heavy?
Most are dense (iron, copper, gold, platinum) but density isn't the defining trait. What unites them is a partially filled d-orbital, which gives them multiple oxidation states and the bright colours of their compounds.