For example, fluorine is will more effectively gain electrons than bromine, even though they are both halogens.
There are also different groups of metals (alkali metals, transition metals, etc. ).
For example, you might drop your bottle of hydrogen peroxide (hydrogen), causing you to yell in a squeaky voice (helium makes your voice squeaky), right as it lands on a pack of batteries (lithium ion batteries to be exact). This helps you remember the order of elements within the periodic table.
An acrostic for nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine and neon might be something like No Openings For Ned. The first one or two letters of each word represent an element (N, O, F, Ne). HONClBrIF (pronounced honkle brief) is another acronym. This one helps you remember the elements that occur as diatomic molecules. A similar approach to acronyms and acrostics is to make a song that includes the names of the elements. This can be a little more effective, but is also more time consuming.
If you choose this way, notecards are your best friend. For example, you could make a set of notecards for every element on the periodic table. Likewise, you could make a set of notecards that lists every family or group (column) and include the elements within each group on the card. To get the most out of the table, you could make several sets of notecards, such as the two mentioned, that organize the information in different ways.
You can also write your own practice test questions or make your own tables. This takes more time, but you will be thinking even more about the periodic table by formulating the test. Just be sure to ask questions that you don’t know, too!
Visual - You prefer to include pictures, images, videos, etc. Auditory - You like hearing information and/or integrating music and sounds. Linguistic - You learn information when it is in the form of language (written or spoken). Kinesthetic - You are a “hands on” learner. Movement and physical touch help you retain information. Mathematical - You rely on systems of logic to learn. Interpersonal - Most of your learning occurs in a group setting. Intrapersonal - Learning alone suits you best.
Be sure that you go back and review material that you have already learned from time to time. If you keep moving on to new material without reviewing the old, you are likely to forget some important details. This can be a great way to use your notecards. Keep them handy, and when you find yourself with a few minutes to kill in a waiting room or between classes, pull them out and put that time to use.
Another way that you can utilize social learning is to teach someone else about the periodic table. As you teach them, you will become more familiar and comfortable with the table yourself. If you are struggling with learning the periodic table, you can also consider finding a private tutor. Sometimes the class will move on and you will simply be given the assignment to learn certain parts of the periodic table.
A good example would be to eat peppermints while you are studying the periodic table, and then eat the same peppermints during the exam. Be careful to only use this for one subject at a time, if you eat peppermints all day then it won’t form an association specifically to the periodic table.
