how do you identify the chemical family of each element? an example is Ca

Question

anonymous · Answer

Look at the Periodic Table.  The family is named either by giving the group number, which is the column number counting from the left in the international system, or a more complicated arrangement in the American system, or by giving the name of the element at the top.  There are also some traditional names for Groups 1A ("alkali metals", 2A ("alkaline earths"), 6A ("chalcogens"), 7A ("halogens") and 8A ("noble gases").

In your case, Ca is in Group 2A (American system) or Group 2 (international system), or the beryllium family (Be is the top of the column), or the alkaline earths.