Which property is primarily used to organize elements in the modern periodic table?

• A. Alphabetical order of element names
• B. Increasing atomic mass
• C. Decreasing electronegativity
• D. Increasing atomic number

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the modern periodic table is arranged based on a fundamental property of elements that reflects their identity.
2. Recall that early versions of the periodic table were organized by increasing atomic mass, but this arrangement had inconsistencies.
3. Recognize that the modern periodic table is organized by increasing atomic number, which is the number of protons in an atom's nucleus.
4. Know that arranging elements by increasing atomic number aligns elements with similar chemical properties into groups or families.
5. Conclude that the primary property used to organize elements in the modern periodic table is the increasing atomic number.