| A | B |
|---|
| atomic mass | average mass of all the isotopes of an element |
| periodic table | chart of the elements showing repeating pattern of their properties |
| chemical symbol | one or two letter representation of an element |
| period | horizontal row of elements in periodic table |
| group | elements in same vertical column of periodic table; also called family |
| metals | class of elements classified by properties inc. shininess, malleability, ductility and conductivity |
| malleable | can be pounded into shapes |
| ductile | can be pulled into long thin wires |
| conductivity | ability to transfer heat or electricity to another object |
| reactivity | ease and speed which an element reacts/combines with another element/compound |
| corrosion | gradual wearing away of a metal element due to a chemical reaction |
| alkali metal | an element in group 1 of per. table |
| alkali earth metal | an element in group 2 of per. table |
| transition metal | an element in groups 3 - 12 of per. table |
| alloy | mixture of 2 or more elements, one of which is a metal |
| particle accelerator | machine which moves atomic nuclei at higher and higher speeds until they crash into one another, sometimes forming heavier elements |
