A level periodic table

At A level the periodic table comes as part of your data sheet. It is more detailed than the GCSE version: masses are given to one decimal place and the f-block is printed in full. This page shows the A level periodic table in the AQA and OCR layouts, using the values printed on each board’s sheet.

Periodixtable is an independent revision site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any exam board. In the exam, use the periodic table your board gives you.

AQA A level periodic table

Each tile reads, from top to bottom: relative atomic mass, symbol, atomic (proton) number. Select an element to open its full page.

Swipe sideways to see the whole table.

Key

63.5Cu29

Relative atomic mass
Symbol
Atomic number

On this table

Relative atomic masses are given to one decimal place, such as 35.5 for chlorine and 63.5 for copper.
The lanthanides (58 to 71) and actinides (90 to 103) are printed in two rows below the table.
Groups carry two labels: 1 to 7 and 0, and the modern numbers (1) to (18) in brackets.
Element names are not printed on the tiles; the data booklet lists them separately.

Values checked against: AQA A-level Chemistry data booklet (7405), June 2023. Boards revise these documents, so check the current one.

OCR A level periodic table

Each tile reads, from top to bottom: atomic number, symbol, name, relative atomic mass. Select an element to open its full page.

Swipe sideways to see the whole table.

Key

29Cucopper63.5

Atomic number
Symbol
Name
Relative atomic mass

On this table

Relative atomic masses are given to one decimal place, such as 23.0 for sodium and 63.5 for copper.
The lanthanoids (57 to 71) and actinoids (89 to 103) are printed in two rows below the table.
Radioactive elements have no mass printed, apart from thorium (232.0) and uranium (238.1).
Groups carry two labels: the modern numbers 1 to 18, and (1) to (7) and (0) in brackets.
The version we checked stops at element 116 and leaves out elements 113 and 115.

Values checked against: OCR AS and A Level Chemistry A data sheet (H032, H432), © OCR 2016. Boards revise these documents, so check the current one.

Relative atomic masses to use in calculations

The values below are the ones printed for the elements that appear most often in exam questions, next to the standard atomic mass shown on our full periodic table.

Element	AQA A level	OCR A level	Standard value
Hydrogen (H)	1.0	1.0	1.008
Carbon (C)	12.0	12.0	12.011
Nitrogen (N)	14.0	14.0	14.007
Oxygen (O)	16.0	16.0	15.999
Sodium (Na)	23.0	23.0	22.9898
Magnesium (Mg)	24.3	24.3	24.305
Aluminium (Al)	27.0	27.0	26.9815
Sulfur (S)	32.1	32.1	32.07
Chlorine (Cl)	35.5	35.5	35.45
Potassium (K)	39.1	39.1	39.0983
Calcium (Ca)	40.1	40.1	40.08
Iron (Fe)	55.8	55.8	55.84
Copper (Cu)	63.5	63.5	63.55
Zinc (Zn)	65.4	65.4	65.4
Bromine (Br)	79.9	79.9	79.9
Silver (Ag)	107.9	107.9	107.868
Iodine (I)	126.9	126.9	126.9045
Barium (Ba)	137.3	137.3	137.33
Lead (Pb)	207.2	207.2	207

What changes from GCSE to A level

The elements and their positions are the same, but the table carries more information. Relative atomic masses go to one decimal place, so magnesium is 24.3 and not 24, and your answers are expected to reflect that precision. The lanthanides and actinides appear as two full rows. Groups are numbered 1 to 18, which you need for describing the s, p and d blocks and for questions on periodicity.

You will also use the table differently: to work out electron configurations from an element’s block and period, to explain trends in ionisation energy, atomic radius and electronegativity, and to compare melting points across period 3.

AQA and OCR A level tables compared

AQA prints the relative atomic mass above the symbol and the atomic (proton) number below it, with no element names on the tiles. OCR prints the atomic number on top, then the symbol and name, with the relative atomic mass at the bottom. A few values differ slightly between the two sheets, for example molybdenum (96.0 on AQA, 95.9 on OCR) and uranium (238.0 on AQA, 238.1 on OCR).

For elements with no stable isotopes, AQA gives a mass number in square brackets and OCR prints no mass. In calculations, always use the relative atomic masses from your own board’s data sheet.

Print a periodic table for revision

For a paper copy with every element name, download our free periodic table PDF in colour or black and white. It is a full periodic table, not a copy of the exam sheet, so it is best for learning the elements; for exam practice use the table in your board’s past papers. You can also test yourself with the element quiz or check a formula mass with the molar mass calculator.

Other exam periodic tables

FAQ

Common questions

Do you get a periodic table in A level chemistry exams?

Yes. AQA includes the periodic table in the data booklet that comes with each A-level Chemistry paper, and OCR prints it on the data sheet. You are not expected to memorise relative atomic masses.

Should I use 35.5 or 35.45 for chlorine at A level?

Use 35.5. Both the AQA and OCR A level periodic tables print chlorine as 35.5, and mark schemes are written using the values on the data sheet, not the more precise values found on a full periodic table.

Which number is the atomic number on the A level periodic table?

On the AQA A level periodic table the atomic (proton) number is at the bottom of each tile, under the symbol. On the OCR A level periodic table it is at the top. The atomic number is always the smaller, whole number.

Why are some masses in square brackets?

On the AQA table, a value in square brackets is a mass number for an element that has no stable isotopes, such as [97] for technetium, and is given in place of a relative atomic mass. The OCR table leaves the mass of most of these elements blank.

What else is in the A level chemistry data sheet?

Besides the periodic table, the AQA data booklet contains spectroscopy data tables and the structures of sugars, bases and amino acids. Exam boards revise their data sheets from time to time, so download the current one from your board’s website.