Memorizing Periodic Table
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Memorizing the Periodic Table
It is convenient to know where on the periodic table the few most common elements encountered in organic chemistry are located. You won’t always have a periodic table in front of you. We want to know the element locations in the table because we want to be able to compare the electronegativities of atoms (how much they attract electrons to them) and their sizes. Both will be important for us to analyze, predict, and understand organic reactions.
Most of organic chemistry deals with the elements hydrogen (H), carbon (C), oxygen (O), sulfur (S), nitrogen (N), and the halogens (fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), and iodine (I)). Therefore, for our purposes, we don’t need to memorize too much of the periodic table, just the first couple of horizontal rows and one vertical column.
So, let’s begin memorizing where these elements are on the periodic table.
Most people know that hydrogen (H) is the first element in the periodic table. It is number 1 and in the top left corner. Helium (He) is the top right.
Hydrogen, Helium. H He. It’s so easy, it makes you want to laugh, “Ha ha.” But, instead of “Ha Ha”, we say “H He.” H He. H He. So, to write the first row of the periodic table, just remember to laugh, H He.
You can take the symbols for all of the elements of the second row (lithium (Li), beryllium (Be), boron (B), carbon (C), nitrogen (N), oxygen (O), fluorine (F), and neon (Ne)), squeeze them together, and make the nonsensical phrase “LiBe BCNOFNe” (pronounced Lih-bee Bik-noff-nee).
The two elements on the left side of row two, lithium (Li) and beryllium (Be) make “LiBe” (pronounced Lih-bee). On the right side of row 2, boron (B), carbon (C), nitrogen (N), oxygen (O), fluorine (F), and neon (Ne) make “BCNOFNe”. “BC” is pronounced Bik. “NOF” is pronounced Noff. Ne is pronounced Nee. Put it all together and you get “LiBe BCNOFNe” (Lih-bee Bik-noff-nee). Say it out loud five times. If you have difficulty remembering “LiBe BCNOFNe”, perhaps it would help to sing it. If it is helpful, I’ve included one way to sing it.
“Hakuna matata” means “no worries.” Hakuna matata is a Swahili phrase made popular by the 1994 Disney animated movie, “The Lion King.” A meerkat, named Timon, and a warthog, named Pumbaa sing a song about Hakuna matata to their new friend, Simba. This is a catchy little tune. If you don’t know this song, take a minute and look it up online so you too can have the tune in your head.
Instead of “Hakuna matata,” sing, “LiBe BCNOFNe.” Because in chemistry, if you remember LiBe BCNOFNe, you’ll have “no worries” when it comes to the periodic table.
LiBe BCNOFNe! What a wonderful phrase.
LiBe BCNOFNe! Ain’t no passing craze.
It means no worries for the rest of our days.
It's our problem-free
philosophy.
LiBe BCNOFNe!
1. Say "H He, LiBe BCNOFNe" as you write it six times below.
2. Fill in the missing elements on this periodic table.
Soon, when you encounter the question, “which is farther to the right in the periodic table, carbon (C) or oxygen (O)?” You’ll know it is oxygen. Remember, LiBe BCNOFNe and have no worries!
The next to last vertical column of the periodic table is called group 17, or the halogens.
The halogens are commonly found in organic chemistry. It is sometimes important to know where they are in the periodic table. Fluorine (F) is at the top followed by chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), iodine (I), and astatine (At). Notice that Br is bromine, not B. B is the symbol for boron. To understand the reactivity of some types of organic compounds, you will need to know where F, Cl, Br, and I are. But, unless you decide to become an astatine chemist, I doubt you will encounter it again. Who would, though? Astatine is radioactive!
There are several mnemonics used to memorize the halogens. The one that sticks in my mind is a little mean, so I apologize. But, it is effective. I remember the order of the halogens F, Cl, Br, I, At by the mnemonic, “Fat Clowns Bring In Attention”. Feel free to make up your own. Go back up and take a look at the halogen column in the periodic table above with this new mnemonic in mind.
Photo by katmystiry at Morguefile.com
4. Write the name of each element next to its atomic symbol.
3. Say your halogen mnemonic out loud while you write the halogens in order, F Cl Br I At six times below.
5. Fill in the missing elements (the halogens) in the periodic table below.
There are two final elements you may want to memorize. Under nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O), we find phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S).
I am not a fan of the vegetable peas. So, I remember “NO PeaS” to remember that N and O are above P and S.
You might also encounter the elements sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) in this text, but we won’t worry about memorizing where those elements are. You should just be able to recognize that they are all metals.
6. Fill in the missing elements in the periodic table below.
