Flashcards Elements Periodic Table: Study Guide

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Flashcards Elements Periodic Table: The Complete Student Study Guide 🧪

✓ Expert Reviewed by Dr. Irfan Mansuri
Last Updated: July 2026
By Dr. Irfan Mansuri
⏱ 10 min read
📗 High School Chemistry
flashcards elements periodic table
Periodic table element flashcards — a fast, proven way to memorize symbols and atomic numbers

If the periodic table has ever felt like a wall of random symbols you’re expected to magically memorize, you’re not alone. I hear this from students every single semester — and the truth is, the periodic table is overwhelming when you approach it the wrong way.

Periodic table flashcards are the single most effective low-tech tool for memorizing element names, symbols, and atomic numbers. When you make them yourself and study by group rather than by number, you cut memorization time in half and actually understand what you’re learning.

In this guide, I’m going to walk you through exactly what to put on each flashcard, give you a complete reference chart of all 118 elements, and share the study strategy that I’ve seen work for hundreds of students. By the end, you’ll have a clear, confident system — not just a pile of cards.

🎯 What you’ll learn in this guide:

  • What information belongs on each element flashcard
  • A full printable-style reference chart of all 118 elements
  • How to read and use a periodic table card correctly
  • The group-first study strategy that cuts memorization time
  • Why 11 element symbols don’t match their English names
  • The most common flashcard mistakes (and how to avoid them)
⚡ Quick Answer: Periodic table flashcards are study cards with one element per card — showing the atomic number, symbol, full name, atomic mass, and element group. Students use them for active recall practice. The most effective method is to study by element group (e.g., all alkali metals together) rather than memorizing all 118 elements in numerical order, because group members share properties that make patterns stick.

⚡ TL;DR – Quick Summary

  • 🃏 Each flashcard needs: atomic number, symbol, name, atomic mass, and group.
  • 📊 The periodic table has 118 confirmed elements across 18 groups and 7 periods.
  • 🎯 Study by group first — elements in the same group share properties.
  • 🔤 11 symbols come from Latin names (Fe = Ferrum, Au = Aurum, etc.).
  • ⏱ 15-20 min/day with spaced repetition = first 20 elements in one week.
  • 🖊 Writing cards by hand beats typing — the act of writing boosts retention.

What Is a Periodic Table Flashcard? 🃏

A periodic table flashcard is a study card with exactly one chemical element per card, designed for active recall practice. The front shows the element symbol; the back reveals the name, atomic number, atomic mass, and group.

Active recall — the act of retrieving information from memory rather than just re-reading it — is one of the most evidence-backed study techniques in cognitive science. A 2013 study published in Psychological Science in the Public Interest ranked practice testing as the highest-utility learning strategy, above re-reading, highlighting, and summarizing. Flashcards are a direct application of that principle.

Here’s what a well-made element flashcard looks like:

FRONT OF CARD
1
H
Hydrogen
1.008
6
C
Carbon
12.011
8
O
Oxygen
15.999
26
Fe
Iron
55.845
79
Au
Gold
196.967

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Notice how the atomic number sits in the top-left corner — exactly as it appears on the real periodic table. Matching the card layout to the table layout means your brain builds a spatial memory map, not just a list of isolated facts.

🖱 Hover over a card to flip it (desktop) — or tap on mobile:

NaAtomic #11
Sodium
At. Mass: 22.990
Group 1 – Alkali Metal
Period 3

ClAtomic #17
Chlorine
At. Mass: 35.453
Group 17 – Halogen
Period 3

ArAtomic #18
Argon
At. Mass: 39.948
Group 18 – Noble Gas
Period 3

Interactive demo — hover/tap to flip

Full Reference Chart: All 118 Elements 📊

This is the centrepiece of this guide — a complete, scannable reference table of all 118 elements. Use it to check your flashcards, spot gaps in your knowledge, and understand the group structure at a glance.

The table is sorted by atomic number. The Group column tells you which element family each belongs to — this is the key to group-based study (explained in the strategy section below).

# Symbol Name Atomic Mass Group / Category Period
1 H Hydrogen 1.008 Nonmetal 1
2 He Helium 4.003 Noble Gas 1
3 Li Lithium 6.941 Alkali Metal 2
4 Be Beryllium 9.012 Alkaline Earth Metal 2
5 B Boron 10.811 Metalloid 2
6 C Carbon 12.011 Nonmetal 2
7 N Nitrogen 14.007 Nonmetal 2
8 O Oxygen 15.999 Nonmetal 2
9 F Fluorine 18.998 Halogen 2
10 Ne Neon 20.180 Noble Gas 2
11 Na Sodium 22.990 Alkali Metal 3
12 Mg Magnesium 24.305 Alkaline Earth Metal 3
13 Al Aluminum 26.982 Post-Transition Metal 3
14 Si Silicon 28.086 Metalloid 3
15 P Phosphorus 30.974 Nonmetal 3
16 S Sulfur 32.065 Nonmetal 3
17 Cl Chlorine 35.453 Halogen 3
18 Ar Argon 39.948 Noble Gas 3
19 K Potassium 39.098 Alkali Metal 4
20 Ca Calcium 40.078 Alkaline Earth Metal 4
21 Sc Scandium 44.956 Transition Metal 4
22 Ti Titanium 47.867 Transition Metal 4
23 V Vanadium 50.942 Transition Metal 4
24 Cr Chromium 51.996 Transition Metal 4
25 Mn Manganese 54.938 Transition Metal 4
26 Fe Iron 55.845 Transition Metal ★ 4
27 Co Cobalt 58.933 Transition Metal 4
28 Ni Nickel 58.693 Transition Metal 4
29 Cu Copper 63.546 Transition Metal ★ 4
30 Zn Zinc 65.38 Transition Metal 4
31 Ga Gallium 69.723 Post-Transition Metal 4
32 Ge Germanium 72.630 Metalloid 4
33 As Arsenic 74.922 Metalloid 4
34 Se Selenium 78.971 Nonmetal 4
35 Br Bromine 79.904 Halogen 4
36 Kr Krypton 83.798 Noble Gas 4
37 Rb Rubidium 85.468 Alkali Metal 5
38 Sr Strontium 87.62 Alkaline Earth Metal 5
39 Y Yttrium 88.906 Transition Metal 5
40 Zr Zirconium 91.224 Transition Metal 5
41 Nb Niobium 92.906 Transition Metal 5
42 Mo Molybdenum 95.96 Transition Metal 5
43 Tc Technetium (98) Transition Metal 5
44 Ru Ruthenium 101.07 Transition Metal 5
45 Rh Rhodium 102.906 Transition Metal 5
46 Pd Palladium 106.42 Transition Metal 5
47 Ag Silver 107.868 Transition Metal ★ 5
48 Cd Cadmium 112.411 Transition Metal 5
49 In Indium 114.818 Post-Transition Metal 5
50 Sn Tin 118.710 Post-Transition Metal ★ 5
51 Sb Antimony 121.760 Metalloid ★ 5
52 Te Tellurium 127.60 Metalloid 5
53 I Iodine 126.904 Halogen 5
54 Xe Xenon 131.293 Noble Gas 5
55 Cs Cesium 132.905 Alkali Metal 6
56 Ba Barium 137.327 Alkaline Earth Metal 6
57 La Lanthanum 138.905 Lanthanide 6
58 Ce Cerium 140.116 Lanthanide 6
59 Pr Praseodymium 140.908 Lanthanide 6
60 Nd Neodymium 144.242 Lanthanide 6
61 Pm Promethium (145) Lanthanide 6
62 Sm Samarium 150.36 Lanthanide 6
63 Eu Europium 151.964 Lanthanide 6
64 Gd Gadolinium 157.25 Lanthanide 6
65 Tb Terbium 158.925 Lanthanide 6
66 Dy Dysprosium 162.500 Lanthanide 6
67 Ho Holmium 164.930 Lanthanide 6
68 Er Erbium 167.259 Lanthanide 6
69 Tm Thulium 168.934 Lanthanide 6
70 Yb Ytterbium 173.054 Lanthanide 6
71 Lu Lutetium 174.967 Lanthanide 6
72 Hf Hafnium 178.49 Transition Metal 6
73 Ta Tantalum 180.948 Transition Metal 6
74 W Tungsten 183.84 Transition Metal ★ 6
75 Re Rhenium 186.207 Transition Metal 6
76 Os Osmium 190.23 Transition Metal 6
77 Ir Iridium 192.217 Transition Metal 6
78 Pt Platinum 195.084 Transition Metal 6
79 Au Gold 196.967 Transition Metal ★ 6
80 Hg Mercury 200.592 Transition Metal ★ 6
81 Tl Thallium 204.383 Post-Transition Metal 6
82 Pb Lead 207.2 Post-Transition Metal ★ 6
83 Bi Bismuth 208.980 Post-Transition Metal 6
84 Po Polonium (209) Post-Transition Metal 6
85 At Astatine (210) Halogen 6
86 Rn Radon (222) Noble Gas 6
87 Fr Francium (223) Alkali Metal 7
88 Ra Radium (226) Alkaline Earth Metal 7
89 Ac Actinium (227) Actin

Sources & References

Reviewed by Dr. Irfan Mansuri. External links open in a new tab and are provided for further reading and verification.

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