How does the periodic table work?

Answer 1

All of the elements in each column behave like one another. They all have the same number of electrons in their outermost shell, they all form ions of the same charge.

The table is arranged by atomic number, from lowest to highest. Each element has an atomic number that's equal to the number of protons it has. Hydrogen has one proton, it's element number one. Uranium has 92 protons, it's element number 92. And so on and so forth.

read a little more below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periodic_table

Answer 2

Electronic Configuration.

Answer 3

periodic table contain 4 main blocks

s-block : for elements that it's electronic configuration ends with s orbital ant that would be at your left hand side ( 1st two groups -1A & 2A )

p-block: for elements that it's electronic configuration ends with p orbital at your right hand side ( from 3A to 7A groups )

d-block:for elements that it's electronic configuration ends with d orbital and these elements are called transition metals
they have nearly different properties than s- and p- block elements ( from 3B to 1B groups )

and finally the f- block elements they are two periods
starts from la element and Ac element
they mostly are radio active elements and prepared form nuclear reactions