Final answer:
A row in the periodic table is called a period, and there are seven periods total. Periods run horizontally and organize elements by increasing atomic number. Groups are the vertical columns with elements sharing similar chemical properties.
Step-by-step explanation:
A row in the periodic table is known as a period. There are seven periods on the periodic table, and each period corresponds to the horizontal rows that run from left to right. As you move from one period to the next, the atomic number of the elements increases. The periodic table is also organized into 18 vertical columns called groups or families, which contain elements that share similar chemical properties due to having the same number of valence electrons. Some notable groups include the alkali metals (Group 1), the alkaline earth metals (Group 2), the halogens (Group 17), and the noble gases (Group 18).