All 118 elements, one tap away.
An interactive periodic table of elements for kids. Tap any box to see its atomic number, mass, family and a fun fact. Light up a family with the colored keys, or search by name, symbol or number.
Use the arrow keys to move between elements. Press Enter to open one.
Atomic masses are IUPAC standard atomic weights, rounded. Data checked against IUPAC, PubChem and the Royal Society of Chemistry.
What is in each box.
- Atomic number
- The number at the top. It is the number of protons in every atom of that element, and it sets the element’s place in the table.
- Symbol
- One or two letters, the same in every language. A second letter is always lowercase: Co is cobalt, while CO is carbon monoxide.
- Name
- Many names come from old words, people or places. Some symbols come from Latin, like Fe for ferrum (iron) and Au for aurum (gold).
- Atomic mass
- The average mass of the element’s atoms. A number in [brackets] means the element has no stable form, so we show the mass number of its longest-lasting isotope.
Same column, similar behavior.
The colors group elements into families. Elements in a family share patterns, which is why chemists could predict elements before anyone found them.
- Alkali metals (6)Soft, shiny metals in group 1 that react strongly with water.
- Alkaline earth metals (6)Group 2 metals. Reactive, but less wild than the alkali metals.
- Transition metals (34)The middle block: hard, shiny metals like iron, copper and gold.
- Post-transition metals (8)Softer metals to the right of the transition metals, like tin and lead.
- Metalloids (6)Part metal, part nonmetal. Silicon is the famous one.
- Nonmetals (7)Not shiny, do not carry electricity well. Includes the elements of life: C, H, N, O.
- Halogens (5)Group 17. Very reactive nonmetals that form salts with metals.
- Noble gases (6)Group 18. They hardly ever react with anything.
- Lanthanides (15)The first f-block row. Many are used in strong magnets and screens.
- Actinides (15)The second f-block row. All are radioactive.
- Unknown properties (10)Superheavy elements made a few atoms at a time; their chemistry is not yet measured.
A few elements worth meeting.
- Hydrogen · 1The lightest element and the most common one in the universe. Stars like our Sun are mostly hydrogen.
- Helium · 2Helium is lighter than air, so helium balloons float up. It is the second most common element in the universe.
- Carbon · 6Diamond and the graphite in pencils are both pure carbon. Only the way the atoms are arranged is different.
- Oxygen · 8About 21% of the air is oxygen, and your body needs it to turn food into energy.
- Sodium · 11Sodium is a metal so soft you can cut it with a knife. Joined with chlorine, it makes table salt.
- Gallium · 31Gallium melts at about 30 °C (86 °F), so a piece of it can melt in your warm hand.
- Bromine · 35One of only two elements that are liquid at room temperature. (The other is mercury.)
- Gold · 79Gold does not rust or tarnish, which is why gold treasures thousands of years old still shine.
The Chemistry Lab.
Signed in, the table links to lessons and games that turn the boxes into ideas kids can use.
Build an atom
Add protons, neutrons and electrons and watch the element, the charge and the mass number change. Then make an ion like Na⁺.
Balance the equation
Tap the numbers in front of each formula until every atom is counted the same on both sides, from water to photosynthesis.
pH sorter
Sort lemon juice, sea water, baking soda and bleach onto the pH scale, with the reason for each one.
Element detective
Name the mystery element from clues about its state, family, row, column and atomic number.
Symbol memory match
Flip cards to pair symbols with names, including the sneaky ones like K, Fe and Pb.
Ten short lessons
From states of matter (around grade 3) to acids, bases and balancing equations, one idea per step, with quick questions that explain every answer.
Questions about the periodic table
How many elements are on the periodic table?
There are 118 confirmed elements. The four newest names, nihonium, moscovium, tennessine and oganesson, were approved by IUPAC in 2016.
What are periods and groups?
The 7 rows are called periods and the 18 columns are called groups. Elements in the same group have the same number of outer electrons, so they tend to behave in similar ways.
Why are two rows shown below the table?
The lanthanides and actinides belong in periods 6 and 7. Printing them underneath keeps the chart 18 columns wide instead of 32, so it fits on a page or screen.
Which elements are liquid at room temperature?
Only two: mercury, a metal, and bromine, a nonmetal. Eleven elements are gases at room temperature and the rest are solids.
Is this periodic table free?
Yes. The table on this page is free to use with no sign-in. The Chemistry Lab lessons and games are inside CometCraft, which you can start free with an email link.
More for grown-ups: CometCraft for parents and for teachers.
Build an atom next.
Sign up free with an email link to open the Chemistry Lab: ten lessons, the atom builder, the equation balancer and more. No password, no card.