History of the Periodic Table

Introduction

Introduction

Before written history, people were aware of some of the elements in the periodic table;elements such as gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and tin (Sn). It wasn't until 1649,however, the first element was discovered through scientific inquiry by Hennig Brand .That element was (P) phosphorous. By 1869, 63 elements had been discovered, but they were not organized by any rules or guidelines.

In this webquest lesson you will be able to answer the following:

  • Who was involved in the organization of the Periodic Table?
  • How many elements are there?
  • Are there more to be discovered? 

You will search for the answers and more as you journey through time. 

Task

Task

Your job is to look into the history of the periodic table, finding out information about elements, scientists and more.

A lot of the work of the early chemists was centered around identifying elements by finding differences between them, rather than looking for similarities. However, about 200 years ago, scientists realized that some elements were similar to each other and could be grouped together. Since then, many scientists have contributed to what has become the modern Periodic Table of the elements.

You will learn about the organization of the periodic table and the different elements. At the end of your journey through history, you will be able to recognize that metals and other elements are organized into the periodic table by their physical and chemical properties.

You will complete the worksheet provided by instructor.

Process

Your To Do List

Part A: Research History

1.  Create a timeline of key events and contributors to the development of the periodic table. You must include the following people:

  • Hennig Brand
  • Sir William Ramsay
  • Ernest Rutherford
  • Dimitri Mendeleev
  • J.J Thomson
  • John Newlands
  • Lothar Meyer
  • Glenn Seaborg
  • Robert Boyle
  • Marie Curie

2.  Websites to use:

 

Part B: The Questions

1)  Who was the first person to discover the first element known? What was the element?

2)  How many elements were discovered by 1869?

3)  Who is considered the "Father of the Periodic Table" ?

4)  How did the "Father of the Periodic Table" organize the periodic table?

5)  State the Periodic law put forward by Mendelev.

6)  Explain why Mendelev's table was successful .

7)  Mendeleev has an element named after him. Name three elements that have been named after famous scientists.

8)  Who was the last person to discover the last known element? What was the element?

9)  What property is used today to organize the elements? What particle is responsible for this property?

10) Explain 3 ways how the early periodic tables are different from the modern periodic table.

Evaluation

Score Tool

Timeline Chart = 30 points

Correct Answers to Questions = 20 points

Total Score =  50 points

Conclusion

 

When you have completed this quest, you will be an expert on the history of the Periodic Table.

Credits

Resources:

The History of the Periodic Table,  https://www.createwebquest.com/muneeza/history-periodic-table