First a little information about the periodic table. The periodic table is a table that shows all the known elements. It is split into groups and periods and is arranged in order of increasing atomic number. Group 1 is the Alkali metals, group 2 is the alkaline Earth metals, group 3 to 12 is made up of 38 elements and theses are called the transition metals, the stair shape is the metalloids, groups 14-16 are the non-metals, group 17 is where the halogens are located and group 18 is the noble gases.