The alkali metals (the group topped by lithium) and the alkaline earth metals (topped by beryllium) got shifted from far right to the far left to create a very wide looking (long form) periodic table.

The alkali metals burn vigorously when heated and placed in a gas jar of oxygen. The oxide forms as white smoke. For example: sodium + oxygen → sodium oxide 4Na (s) + O 2 (g) → 2Na 2 O (s) ...

The periodic table traditionally taught in textbooks, which organizes elements based on chemical traits such as reactivity, places helium in the rightmost column with the other less reactive elements.

GCSE Chemistry (Single Science) Atomic structure and the periodic table learning resources for adults, children, parents and teachers.

Some alkali metals have been known and put to good use long before Mendeleev created the periodic table. For instance, the Old Testament mentions salt – a combination of the alkali metal sodium ...

Charles Janet’s left-step table. Wikipedia, CC BY-SA Settling on a design The modern table is actually a direct evolution of Janet’s version. The alkali metals (the group topped by lithium) and the ...