What Is the Importance of Color on the Periodic Table?

Why Is the Periodic Table Colored?

This is a typical colored periodic table that shows element groups.
This is a typical colored periodic table that shows element groups. Todd Helmenstine
by
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
Updated March 06, 2017

Most periodic tables are color-coded. You can get black and white or uncolored tables, but mainly these are used when you can't print color or need just the most basic facts about the periodic table and the elements.

Colored tables are important because they give you an extra dimension of information. A typical periodic table is colored according to element groups, which are elements that share common chemical and physical properties. Some element groups are easily identified as columns on the periodic table, but as you move across the table, the trends aren't so clear-cut. The metalloids and nonmetals, in particular, don't fall neatly into a column. The groups are colored to identify similar elements at a glance.

Periodic tables may use color to identify other element characteristics. For example, there is an electronegativity periodic table that color-codes the elements based on how electronegative they are. The valence periodic table uses color to identify the most common valence state for each element. The element abundance periodic table shows the relative amounts of each element.

How Are Periodic Table Colors Chosen?

There is no standard set of colors used to identify element groups or other properties. Colors are selected based on how well the text shows up against them, but mostly it's just a matter of personal preference. You can find periodic tables in any color scheme.