Explanation:

A period is a horizontal row of the periodic table.  There are seven periods in the periodic table, with each one beginning at the far left.  A new period begins when a new principal energy level begins filling with electrons.  Period 1 has only two elements (hydrogen and helium), while periods 2 and 3 have 8 elements.  Periods 4 and 5 have 18 elements.  Periods 6 and 7 have 32 elements because the two bottom rows that are separated from the rest of the table belong to those periods.  They are pulled out in order to make the table itself fit more easily onto a single page.