Introduction
About:
The periodic table is a table that organizes all the known elements into columns and periods. The columns are called groups or families, while the rows are named periods. These groups and periods specifically organize elements to where you can easily find an element and other elements that are similar to itself. Or scientists can predict an unknown element that has yet to be discovered using the periodic table. The elements are shown from left to right in order of their atomic numbers and atomic masses, which leads me to another point. The atomic number of an atom is the total number of protons or electrons in their atom. Atomic masses on the other hand are the combined masses of the protons and neutrons in the nucleus of the atom. One thing I almost forgot is the group number. The group number not only tells you what group specific elements are in but they also say how many valence electrons an element has. Group one has 1 valence electron, group 2 with 2, and 3 with 3. But, there is an exception. For groups 8,9,+10 all three of those groups have 8 valence electrons. Also every double digit number up until 18 has the number of valence electrons depending on the number after one, for example, 11=1, 12=2 18=8.These are all the things you need to know about the current periodic table now. So let's get started with how it got started.
Task
Early Periodic Table
The periodic table first started out when a scientist named Antoine Lavoisier in 1789 wanted to group the the known elements to make them nice and neat. This first draft had the elements grouped based on their properties of gas, metal, non-metal, and earth. Over the decades after Antoine many people tried to modify the periodic table design but such attempts were insignificant. But then, Johann Döbereiner found out what is called the triads of elements.These were elements with chemically similar properties such as Lithium, Sodium, and Potassium and they showed that the properties of the middle element can be predicted using the properties of the outside two. But these outdated and simple ways of attempting to classify the periodic table were ruled out as a conference in Karlsruhe Germany in 1860 made the best progress towards the modern day periodic table.
Process
The More Important Newer Contributions
The next scientist we are going to talk about is Alexandre Béguyer de Chancourtois. He was actually a geologist, but back in the day, scientist often didn't stick to their profession. Anyway, this man is known for the 'vis tellurique' or telluric screw. The telluric screw is a three-dimensional arrangement of the elements that was published in 1862. The telluric screw plotted the atomic masses of the elements on the outside of a cylinder figure. What this would do is make a complete turn of the cylinder make the atomic mass increase by a factor of 16. This would also make elements with similar properties show to be in a vertical line. Although this wasn't the most accurate, he did prove that similar elements appear at periodic atom weights. Our next scientist is pretty big, John Newlands. He is the creator of the periodic law which states that similar elements can be found when looking at their atomic weights that have a difference of 7. He first called this "the Law of Octaves" comparing it to the sounds of a piano. Newlands did not leave any gaps for undiscovered elements in his table, and sometimes had to fit two elements into one box in order to keep the pattern correct. But because of this, the Chemical Society refused to publish his paper, comparing to being so inaccurate as to just putting them together alphabetically. Even after Mendeleev discovering the periodic table we all know and love, Newlands continued to claim that he was the one to discover it first. But as he is now dead, the only way the Royal Society of Chemistry did to honor him was put a plaque in his birthplace commemorating his achievement.
Evaluation
The More Important Newer Contributers
The next scientist we are going to talk about is Alexandre Béguyer de Chancourtois. He was actually a geologist, but back in the day, scientist often didn't stick to their profession. Anyway, this man is known for the 'vis tellurique' or telluric screw. The telluric screw is a three-dimensional arrangement of the elements that was published in 1862. The telluric screw plotted the atomic masses of the elements on the outside of a cylinder figure. What this would do is make a complete turn of the cylinder make the atomic mass increase by a factor of 16. This would also make elements with similar properties show to be in a vertical line. Although this wasn't the most accurate, he did prove that similar elements appear at periodic atom weights. Our next scientist is pretty big, John Newlands. He is the creator of the periodic law which states that similar elements can be found when looking at their atomic weights that have a difference of 7. He first called this "the Law of Octaves" comparing it to the sounds of a piano. Newlands did not leave any gaps for undiscovered elements in his table, and sometimes had to fit two elements into one box in order to keep the pattern correct. But because of this, the Chemical Society refused to publish his paper, comparing to being so inaccurate as to just putting them together alphabetically. Even after Mendeleev discovering the periodic table we all know and love, Newlands continued to claim that he was the one to discover it first. But as he is now dead, the only way the Royal Society of Chemistry did to honor him was put a plaque in his birthplace commemorating his achievement.
Conclusion
Important Contributors Continued
Julius Lothar Meyers was a chemist like most of the GUYS I have talked about but Meyers, unlike the rest, actually went to the same university as Mendeleev and they might've actually seen each other around. Even though they were so close, they did not know about each others work until they got famous. His first table that he had created only had 28 elements and it was organized by the elements "valency". He later modified his table to add the transition metals in a much more developed table. This new table ordered the elements by their atomic mass and had the order of valency in vertical lines. This was shockingly similar to Mendeleev's future table. But luck wasn't on Meyers side as his version of the table wasn't yet published until after Mendeleev's was. But this was not his only contribution to the periodic table. He was the first person to recognize the periodic trends in the properties of elements. One of the most important contributors, or maybe the most, Henry Moseley. In 1913 the last part of the periodic table was added. Mendeleev created the table to where the atomic mass creates the order of the periodic table, but this wasn't always accurate for a hand full of the elements. Mendeleev wanted to switch them around but it wasn't until Moseley to find out why. Henry found a way to measure atomic number, using a high tech x-ray system. But Moseley's future ended short. In 1914, when the first world war broke out, Moseley joined the Royal Engineers to become an officer. He later died by an enemy sniper in Turkey. Britain felt like they lost a future noble prize winner. With use of his work, scientist could see the structure of an atom. His way of using the x-ray on atoms is still used today.
Credits
All About Mendeleev
When people think of the periodic table they think of Dmitri Mendeleev. He is the inventor of the MODERN DAY periodic table. But his table was the most accurate and thus gave him the spot of the founder. His way of using the periodic table to predict other elements worked as well. He left gaps in his own table for elements he said he could predict by their entire properties, which he did. He always studied the elements and always tried to find ways to fit them together which led him to the right one. He was the one to put the elements in order from atomic weight. Even though some didn't fit correctly, he found a way to be ale to move it around in a way that they can still be their family. But scientist most love his way of leaving enough gaps for future elements. Using the periodic table, you can predict exactly how an element will be like just by where its gap is. AMAZING!