How to memorize the periodic table in 4 steps
Memorize the periodic table in chunks, not as one list of 118 elements. Learn it row by row and group by group, give each chunk a mnemonic sentence, then test yourself by filling in a blank table from memory. Review the cells you missed after one day, three days and a week. Start with the first 20 elements, then add one row at a time.
The table has 118 elements in 7 rows, called periods, and 18 columns, called groups. The rows hold 2, 8, 8, 18, 18, 32 and 32 elements, so the first three rows are only 18 elements. That is a natural first chunk. Chunking works because your working memory holds only a few items at once, and seven small sets are far easier than one long list.
Groups are worth learning as units, because elements in a column behave alike. Group 1 holds hydrogen and the alkali metals (Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr), group 2 the alkaline earth metals, group 17 the halogens (F, Cl, Br, I, At, Ts) and group 18 the noble gases (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, Rn, Og). A sentence whose first letters match the symbols turns a whole column into one memory.
The step that makes it stick is recall, not rereading. Draw an empty grid, fill in every symbol you can, then check against a real table and mark the gaps. This blank-table drill is the blurting method applied to chemistry. Repeat it with growing breaks and spend your time only on the cells you got wrong.
| Chunk | From to | Elements |
|---|---|---|
| Row 1 | H to He | 2 |
| Row 2 | Li to Ne | 8 |
| Row 3 | Na to Ar | 8 |
| Row 4 | K to Kr | 18 |
| Row 5 | Rb to Xe | 18 |
| Row 6 (with the lanthanides) | Cs to Rn | 32 |
| Row 7 (with the actinides) | Fr to Og | 32 |
- 1Chunk it. Learn rows 1 to 3 first (18 elements), then add one row or one group at a time. Most classes need the first 20 elements before the rest.
- 2Give each chunk a mnemonic. Write a sentence whose first letters match the symbols, such as Happy Little Nora Keeps Rubbing Cute Ferrets for group 1 (H, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr).
- 3Drill a blank table. Fill in an empty grid from memory, then check it against a real table and mark every gap.
- 4Space your reviews. Repeat the drill after one day, three days and a week, and spend your time on the cells you missed.