CF - The Periodic Chart and Food Microlesson

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The Periodic Chart and Food

Foods must contain nutrients in chemical compounds that are easily digested and absorbed in our bodies in order for them to be nutritious.

Quick Glance: There's What In My Food?

There are common atoms that appear frequently in our food supply. Four of them are especially common: carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen. Take a look below: Carbon, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Hydrogen 

  • Carbon (C): this is the building block of most of the molecules. It’s important for fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. It is essential and without it, many foods would not exist.
  • Oxygen (O): oxygen supports chemical reactions. Oxygen has quite a lot of electrons available which are often used to attach two molecules to one another or split molecules into pieces.
  • Nitrogen (N): this atom is essential for making proteins. The nitrogen group is also a common place for reactions to take place.
  • Hydrogen (H): is one of the most common atoms. Hydrogen often ‘fills up’ empty spaces in molecules.

These four elements listed above are a prime example of the importance of elements in our food supply. In the lesson to follow, you will learn more about the periodic chart and how elements are classified. The classification is significant to understanding the role of each element in our food. 

Explore: The Heart of Chemistry

At the heart of Chemistry lies the Periodic Table. Developed in the 1800’s by Dmitri Mendeleev, it systematically lists out the elements found in the world we live in. Some are found in food and others in the soil. No matter where they are found, they all play a vital function in understanding our food and the chemical reactions that take place in many of the items we eat.

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Understanding the Periodic Table

Protons + Neutrons = Atomic Mass Items are organized from left to right by their atomic weight. The Atomic Mass is the sum of protons and neutrons in an atom.

This helps people to understand how the elements are related. It is also used to predict the types of chemical reactions the element will join. It also explains whether it will form chemical bonds with other elements. He also grouped the elements in the following ways to show their relationship between metals, non-metals, and metalloids.

Navigating the Periodic Table

The basic principle of the table is categorized by the following relationships-  

  • Period- Rows- Run side to side
  • Groups- Columns- Run up and down

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Each element has certain physical and chemical properties based on the grouping. Many of these properties depend on the number of electrons the element holds. Of the 118 elements on the periodic table, over 75% of them are classified as metals. There are four basic categories that help you to understand how we characterize metals- conduction, reactivity, chemical, and alloys.

Use the activity below to learn about metals and non metals.

 

Now that you understand a little bit about the general classification, lets dive in a little deeper and look at the specifics. You can think of them as families! They are similar in many ways. But, like some families, some of the members get along better than others!

Take a look at the tabs below to learn more about the group 1 classification.

 

Challenge

So do you think you understand the periodic chart and food? Try the challenge below to test your knowledge.

Click on the "next" button at the bottom of the periodic table to begin the challenge.

 

Takeaway: What Is Your Takeaway?

Could the Periodic Table change? Takeaway.png 

Is there room for Element 119 and 120? Scientists have been working on these findings since the table was last updated in 2010. Some of the newer metal elements were formed by combining atomic nuclei together in a particle separator. These are known as “superheavy” elements. Scientists are working non-stop on developing these Super Heavy elements. A quote from Walk Loveland, a professor of Chemistry at Oregon State University explains, “When you make heavier and heavier elements, you make elements with very different chemical properties.” “That can inform us how atomic structure works.” So, in the next decade, we may see an 8th  row on the Periodic Table.

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