In the second column of the modern periodic table, the first three elements are beryllium, magnesium and calcium (from the top going down). Given their arrangement on the periodic table, explain what you can infer about their:atomic numbersproperties

Atomic Numbers: The atomic number of an element is determined by the number of protons in its nucleus. In the periodic table, elements are arranged in ascending order of their atomic numbers. Beryllium, magnesium, and calcium are in the second column of the periodic table, with beryllium at the top, followed by magnesium and calcium. This means that beryllium has the smallest atomic number, followed by magnesium, and then calcium. Specifically, the atomic numbers are 4 for Beryllium, 12 for Magnesium, and 20 for Calcium.

Properties: The elements in the same column (or group) of the periodic table share similar chemical properties. This is because they have the same number of electrons in their outermost shell, which is the most significant factor in determining an element's chemical behavior. Beryllium, magnesium, and calcium all belong to the second group of the periodic table, known as alkaline earth metals. They are all shiny, silvery-white, somewhat reactive metals at standard temperature and pressure. They readily lose their two outermost electrons to form cations with charge +2, and they have relatively low densities, melting points, and boiling points. In general, these properties become more pronounced as you move down the group, from beryllium to calcium.