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Marie discovers boxes of elements in a storage room. The boxes do not say which elements they contain, but they do have information about their locations on the periodic table. What kind of information would allow Marie to determine which boxes contain the most reactive elements?

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To determine which boxes contain the most reactive elements, Marie would need the following types of information about the elements based on their locations on the periodic table:

  1. Group/Column Information: The periodic table is organized into groups (columns), and elements in certain groups are more reactive than others. For example, alkali metals (Group 1) such as lithium, sodium, and potassium are highly reactive, especially with water. Similarly, halogens (Group 17) like fluorine and chlorine are also very reactive. Identifying which group the elements fall into will help Marie gauge their reactivity.

  2. Period/Row Information: Reactivity can also be influenced by the period (row) in which an element is located. For example, among the alkali metals, reactivity increases as you move down the group from lithium to cesium. Noting the specific period of the elements can help in assessing their reactivity.

  3. Metallic vs Non-metallic Character: Understanding whether an element is a metal, non-metal, or metalloid can also indicate its reactivity. Metals (especially alkali and alkaline earth metals) tend to be more reactive than non-metals (with some exceptions, like halogens).

  4. Electron Configuration: Knowing the electron configuration of the elements can indicate how close they are to having a full outer shell of electrons. Elements with one or two electrons in their outer shell tend to be more reactive, as they will readily lose those electrons, while elements that are just one electron short of a full shell (non-metals) are also highly reactive.

  5. State of Matter: Information regarding whether the elements are gases, liquids, or solids at room temperature can also provide clues. For example, the noble gases (Group 18) are generally non-reactive due to their full valence shell, while the gaseous halogens are very reactive.

By obtaining this information, Marie would be able to discern which boxes likely contain the most reactive elements, particularly focusing on those in Groups 1 and 17, as well as understanding trends based on their positions on the periodic table.