As you move left along the periodic table, what happens to the atomic number of the elements?

The periodic table is organized according to increasing atomic number. Atomic number, which represents the number of protons in an atom's nucleus, dictates an element's identity. As you move from left to right across a period (horizontal row) on the periodic table, the atomic number increases. Conversely, moving from right to left results in a decrease in atomic number. This arrangement reflects the periodic trends in chemical properties and electron configurations of the elements. Understanding this organization is key to predicting how elements will behave and interact with each other.