There are "common names" for all of the s and p block groups of elements (alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, icosagens, crystallogens, pnictogens, chalcogens, halogens, noble gases) (although some of those aren't that common), "Trivial names" for some of those aswell (triels, tetrels, pentels), and up to d-block referring to a group as "the litest element in said group" group/family is accepted nomenclature.
What my question is is has there ever been a name used in any reasonable capacity or even proposed for any periods of the table beyond just period #? ie. is there any name I can use for the set of elements containing just H and He.
Period 6 and 7 f-block elements have commonly used names and this is kinda what I am looking for but not quite.
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3$\begingroup$ What would be the point in that? Also if you know triels, tetrels, or even some icosagens, I've likely never heard about, then I doubt we got much to add. $\endgroup$– MithoronCommented Oct 1, 2023 at 17:13
2 Answers
Though I don't know of terms for each row, there are a few that describe a horizontal section of the periodic table.
Astronomers refer to anything other than H and He (first period) as metals, so in that usage, the first period would be "nonmetals"... This hardly a useful chemistry definition, though ;-)
Lanthanides and Actinides are sections of a period, but certainly not the whole row.
Scandides are used for some period-4 elements, though again not a whole row. (courtesy Oscar Lanzi)
Transuranic element is a horizontal set, but also not a single period. The concept is more useful in nuclear physics rather than chemistry.
Heavy metal is far too broad a term, also, and omits nonmetals and alkalis (other than Ra). [BTW, I propose Malmsteenium for the next heavy metal to be created.]
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$\begingroup$ From the pattern established by Lanthanides, Actinides, and Scandides, for my purposes I am just gonna go with calling each period block combination by the first element in that set with the ending changed to -ides $\endgroup$ Commented Oct 1, 2023 at 16:42
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$\begingroup$ Alkali-metal "-ides" would also be compounds containing anions of these metals. $\endgroup$ Commented Oct 1, 2023 at 16:49
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1$\begingroup$ The first extra row on the bottom of the table is known as rare earths. $\endgroup$– JoshuaCommented Oct 2, 2023 at 16:38
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$\begingroup$ Coinage metals are not a horizontal period, but rather a group or column with similar properties, e.g., Cu, Ag, Au. The question was for, "a name used in any reasonable capacity or even proposed for any periods of the table." $\endgroup$ Commented Feb 5 at 14:59
The word "scandides" is sometimes used for the Period 4 transition elements from scandium (the namesake) through zinc, particularly in the label "scandide contraction" for what is more commonly called the d-block contraction. As with the lanthanides and actinides, the label does not cover the period as a whole.
