A period 2 element is one of the chemical elements in the second row (or period) of the periodic table of the chemical elements. The periodic table is laid out in rows to illustrate recurring (periodic) trends in the chemical behavior of the elements as their atomic number increases; a new row is started when chemical behavior begins to repeat, creating columns of elements with similar properties.

The second period contains the elements lithium, beryllium, boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine, and neon. In a quantum mechanical description of atomic structure, this period corresponds to the filling of the second (n = 2) shell, more specifically its 2s and 2p subshells. Period 2 elements (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine and neon) obey the octet rule in that they need eight electrons to complete their valence shell (lithium and beryllium obey duet rule, boron is electron deficient.), where at most eight electrons can be accommodated: two in the 2s orbital and six in the 2p subshell.

Period 2 is the first period in the periodic table from which periodic trends can be drawn. Period 1, which only contains two elements (hydrogen and helium), is too small to draw any conclusive trends from it, especially because the two elements behave nothing like other s-block elements. Period 2 has much more conclusive trends. For all elements in period 2, as the atomic number increases, the atomic radius of the elements decreases, the electronegativity increases, and the ionization energy increases.

Period 2 only has two metals (lithium and beryllium) of eight elements, less than for any subsequent period both by number and by proportion. It also has the most number of nonmetals, namely five, among all periods. The elements in period 2 often have the most extreme properties in their respective groups; for example, fluorine is the most reactive halogen, neon is the most inert noble gas, and lithium is the least reactive alkali metal.

All period 2 elements completely obey the Madelung rule; in period 2, lithium and beryllium fill the 2s subshell, and boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine, and neon fill the 2p subshell. The period shares this trait with periods 1 and 3, none of which contain transition elements or inner transition elements, which often vary from the rule.

Lithium (Li) is an alkali metal with atomic number 3, occurring naturally in two isotopes: ⁶Li and ⁷Li. The two make up all natural occurrence of lithium on Earth, although further isotopes have been synthesized. In ionic compounds, lithium loses an electron to become positively charged, forming the cation Li⁺. Lithium is the first alkali metal in the periodic table, and the first metal of any kind in the periodic table. At standard temperature and pressure, lithium is a soft, silver-white, highly reactive metal. With a density of 0.564 g⋅cm⁻³, lithium is the lightest metal and the least dense solid element.

Lithium is one of the few elements synthesized in the Big Bang. Lithium is the 31st most abundant element on earth, occurring in concentrations of between 20 and 70 ppm by weight, but due to its high reactivity it is only found naturally in compounds.

Lithium salts are used in the pharmacology industry as mood stabilising drugs. They are used in the treatment of bipolar disorder, where they have a role in treating depression and mania and may reduce the chances of suicide. The most common compounds used are lithium carbonate, Li₂CO₃, lithium citrate, Li₃C₆H₅O₇, lithium sulphate, Li₂SO₄, and lithium orotate, LiC₅H₃N₂O₄·H₂O. Lithium is also used in batteries as an anode and its alloys with aluminium, cadmium, copper and manganese are used to make high performance parts for aircraft, most notably the external tank of the Space Shuttle.