Periodic table period

Period 1

Period 1 is a horizontal row of the periodic table with 2 elements, from Hydrogen (atomic number 1) to Helium (atomic number 2). Every element in the row has 1 occupied electron shell. With only the 1s orbital available, period 1 holds just two elements, and both are gases: hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, and inert helium.

At a glance

Elements
2
Atomic numbers
1 to 2
Block
s-block
Period
1
Phase at STP
gas (2)

Shared properties

  • Each member has 1 occupied electron shell
  • Atomic radius generally decreases from left to right across the period
  • Ionization energy and electronegativity generally increase across the period
  • Character shifts from metallic on the left to nonmetallic on the right

The 2 elements

All 7 periods

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