What is your favorite element?

[James.Rus]

Thorium 'cause who doesn't like nuclear energy  

And magnesium, it looks pretty when it burns and what more can you ask of an element. 

[Mentalguy]

Everything in group 1 has 1 electron in its outer shell. Everything in group 2 has 2 electrons in its outer shell. Everything in group 3 has 3 electrons in its outer shell, and so forth. Until you reach group 8, where you have Helium sat there with its troll-face and 2 electrons in its outer shell. Like you said, it's still a noble gas (but noble gases do form compounds so in some respects the term is moot) so you can't put it in group 2, but it doesn't have 8 electrons in its outer shell so it doesn't technically belong in group 8 either. At the very least it doesn't fit the pattern. Sure, it technically has a valence of 0 but then you run into the issue that in that case Xenon, Krypton and the other heavier noble gases technically have a valence of +/-1 so it still doesn't fit.

There are a few other reasons why Helium is accidentally hilarious but that's the big one to my eyes.

EDIT: Just noticed the Cummingtonite comment - kudos on citing this fantastically named compound

I understand that, but out of every place it could go, where it's at is most fitting.

[Guest]

My external harddrive, Western Digital Elements is it's name.

[SMURG]

I understand that, but out of every place it could go, where it's at is most fitting.

Well yeah, it's just kinda funny that it doesn't really fit. Personally I reckon it should be in group 8 but detached like hydrogen is in group 1 sometimes. This is probably the best way to do the periodic table imo: http://ww2.d155.org/clc/tdirectory/JSayles/Pictures/My%20Home%20Page%20Pictures/periodic-table-fix.jpg

[juretrn]

Nothing more important than silicon. GO SEMICONDUCTORS!

[KamiKatze]

Chemists UNITE!!

 

Here you have a link to a professor who tells stuff about every element in the periodic table. http://www.periodicvideos.com/

It's fun and they do experiments with each one. I still quite like the alkali metals best.

[TechTheWorld]

....

[Zeals]

Osmium without a shadow of a doubt, no idea why probably something to do with a SciFi game or TV show from a while ago in all likelihood. 

[piplupgao]

sodium, if you've ever thrown a clump of it in a lake you'll know why

[b1khoa]

My favorite is the filth element.

[Mentalguy]

The Element of suprise

[ManOfDisguise]

[Wulfgar]

Thorium, of course. Cause of Thor. Don't see any frost giants, do you?