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THE INTERACTIVE PERIODIC TABLE

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118 elements/Choose an element to discover its story

Atomic number
6
Chemical symbol
C
Atomic weight
12.011
IN FOCUS / Nonmetals

Carbon

Graphite, diamond and carbon fibres have very different applications.

Explore element
1HHydrogen1.00802HeHelium4.00263LiLithium6.944BeBeryllium9.01225BBoron10.816CCarbon12.0117NNitrogen14.0078OOxygen15.9999FFluorine18.99810NeNeon20.18011NaSodium22.99012MgMagnesium24.30513AlAluminum26.98214SiSilicon28.08515PPhosphorus30.97416SSulfur32.0617ClChlorine35.4518ArArgon39.9519KPotassium39.09820CaCalcium40.07821ScScandium44.95622TiTitanium47.86723VVanadium50.94224CrChromium51.99625MnManganese54.93826FeIron55.84527CoCobalt58.93328NiNickel58.69329CuCopper63.54630ZnZinc65.3831GaGallium69.72332GeGermanium72.63033AsArsenic74.92234SeSelenium78.97135BrBromine79.90436KrKrypton83.79837RbRubidium85.46838SrStrontium87.6239YYttrium88.90640ZrZirconium91.22241NbNiobium92.90642MoMolybdenum95.9543TcTechnetium[97]44RuRuthenium101.0745RhRhodium102.9146PdPalladium106.4247AgSilver107.8748CdCadmium112.4149InIndium114.8250SnTin118.7151SbAntimony121.7652TeTellurium127.6053IIodine126.9054XeXenon131.2955CsCesium132.9156BaBarium137.3357LaLanthanum138.9158CeCerium140.1259PrPraseodymium140.9160NdNeodymium144.2461PmPromethium[145]62SmSamarium150.3663EuEuropium151.9664GdGadolinium157.2565TbTerbium158.9366DyDysprosium162.5067HoHolmium164.9368ErErbium167.2669TmThulium168.9370YbYtterbium173.0571LuLutetium174.9772HfHafnium178.4973TaTantalum180.9574WTungsten183.8475ReRhenium186.2176OsOsmium190.2377IrIridium192.2278PtPlatinum195.0879AuGold196.9780HgMercury200.5981TlThallium204.3882PbLead207.283BiBismuth208.9884PoPolonium[209]85AtAstatine[210]86RnRadon[222]87FrFrancium[223]88RaRadium[226]89AcActinium[227]90ThThorium232.0491PaProtactinium231.0492UUranium238.0393NpNeptunium[237]94PuPlutonium[244]95AmAmericium[243]96CmCurium[247]97BkBerkelium[247]98CfCalifornium[251]99EsEinsteinium[252]100FmFermium[257]101MdMendelevium[258]102NoNobelium[259]103LrLawrencium[266]104RfRutherfordium[267]105DbDubnium[268]106SgSeaborgium[269]107BhBohrium[270]108HsHassium[269]109MtMeitnerium[277]110DsDarmstadtium[281]111RgRoentgenium[282]112CnCopernicium[285]113NhNihonium[286]114FlFlerovium[290]115McMoscovium[290]116LvLivermorium[293]117TsTennessine[294]118OgOganesson[294]
57–71La–Lu
89–103Ac–Lr
Lanthanides57–71
Actinides89–103

Element categories

Category guide

Quick explanations and examples for the table colours

Broad classification: metals, metalloids and nonmetals. Groups are the columns numbered 1–18; the colour key displays some families separately.

Nonmetals

Generally poor conductors of heat and electricity, with exceptions such as graphite

Examples: Carbon C · Oxygen O

Noble gases

Group 18 elements; the familiar members have low chemical reactivity

Examples: Helium He · Neon Ne

Alkali metals

Highly reactive Group 1 metals, excluding hydrogen

Examples: Lithium Li · Sodium Na

Alkaline earth metals

Group 2 metals, typically forming ions with a charge of +2

Examples: Magnesium Mg · Calcium Ca

Metalloids

Elements sharing some properties of metals and nonmetals; some are semiconductors

Examples: Boron B · Silicon Si

Halogens

Group 17 elements, including reactive nonmetals that form salts with metals

Examples: Fluorine F · Chlorine Cl

Post-transition metals

Metals to the right of the transition metals; category boundaries vary between references

Examples: Aluminium Al · Tin Sn

Transition metals

Metals in the centre of the table, many with multiple oxidation states

Examples: Iron Fe · Copper Cu

Lanthanides

The series from lanthanum to lutetium, atomic numbers 57–71

Examples: Lanthanum La · Neodymium Nd

Actinides

The series from actinium to lawrencium; all are radioactive

Examples: Thorium Th · Uranium U

Learning reference: OpenStax — Chemistry 2e ↗

Click a category to show its elements; click it again to clear the selection

Textbooks distinguish metals, metalloids and nonmetals. This colour scheme shows halogens and noble gases separately; the nonmetals colour covers H, C, N, O, P, S and Se. Group membership alone does not confirm the physical properties of superheavy elements. OpenStax · Chemistry 2e ↗

Standard atomic weights follow CIAAW 2024 (abridged). Brackets show an isotope mass number from IUPAC 2022, not a standard atomic weight. Sources ↗

START WITH THE BASICS

There is a pattern to everything

Groups, periods and the story behind the numbers

BEYOND THE TABLE

Elements & Earth

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