The periodic table is a table that organizes chemical elements according to certain rules. For many years, many scientists have studied the issue of ordering the elements, but Dimitri Mendeleev is credited as the person who prepared the first version of the periodic table. Since then, the periodic table features have undergone various changes in light of developments in chemistry and physics.
Today, the periodic table, which includes 118 elements, is accepted as one of the most important achievements in the history of science, with the information it contains and the conveniences it provides. Today, we have covered all the details about the periodic table, which makes it easier to understand the material world and has been a roadmap for many scientists for many years.
First, what is the periodic table?
The periodic table of chemical elements, often called the periodic table, lists all chemical elements in order of increasing atomic numbers. Scientists use the periodic table to get some information about elements more quickly, such as atomic mass and chemical symbols. In addition, the arrangement of the periodic table makes it easy to distinguish the details of many element properties, including electronegativity, ionization energy and atomic radius.
Many scientists have conducted various studies to order the elements in an orderly fashion. However, Dimitri Mendeleev introduced the first version of the periodic table in 1869. Since then, the periodic table has evolved in the light of scientific advances.
So what are the features of the periodic table?
- Today it consists of 118 elements.
- As you go from left to right, the atomic number and mass number increase.
- As you go down from the top, the atomic number and metallic character increase.
- The first version of the periodic table had only 63 elements
- Elements in the same group have similar properties
The periodic table, which has a history of 153 years, contains numerous features. The periodic table, which is organized according to certain rules, gives information about many properties of the elements. According to the first version prepared by Mendeleev in 1869, it has undergone many changes.
Interesting information about the periodic table:
- There are only 94 naturally occurring elements in the periodic table.
- Technetium is the first artificial element in the ruler
- The ruler is constantly revised by IUPAC
- The modern periodic table is arranged by increasing atomic number.
- Atomic size decreases as the atomic number increases in the periodic table
- Mendeleev correctly predicted the existence of yet undiscovered elements
- The atomic mass shown in the periodic table is the weighted average of all isotopes of the element.
- The periodic table is modeled after a card game.
There are only 94 naturally occurring elements in the periodic table.
Only 94 of the elements in the periodic table are elements found in nature. All other elements are man-made. Some sources state that more elements are formed naturally, because it is known that heavy elements can switch between elements when exposed to radioactive decay.
Technetium is the first artificial element in the ruler
Technetium is an element discovered by Emilio Segre in Italy in 1937. The element with the atomic number 43 was the first artificially produced element. It has an atomic number of 43 and all isotopes are radioactive.
The ruler is constantly revised by IUPAC
The International Union of Fundamental and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) revises the periodic table as new developments occur in chemistry and as new data become available.
The modern periodic table is arranged by increasing atomic number.
The biggest difference between the first periodic table prepared by Mendeleev and the modern periodic table is that Mendeleev arranged the elements according to atomic mass, while the modern periodic table arranged the elements according to their atomic number. For example, Hydrogen, the first element on the periodic table, has a proton and an electron. The second element, Helium, has two protons and two electrons. Each successive element has an extra proton and electron compared to the previous element.
Atomic size decreases as the atomic number increases in the periodic table
The atomic size of an element is expected to increase as the atomic number of its atoms increases, but this is not always the case. The size of an atom is determined by the diameter of its electronic shell. Therefore, element atoms generally decrease in size as they move from left to right along a row.
Mendeleev correctly predicted the existence of yet undiscovered elements
Dimitri Mendeleev is the scientist who prepared the periodic table in the most similar way to today’s periodic table. By arranging the elements according to their atomic masses, he noticed patterns of repetitive properties and grouped these elements together among themselves. When Mendeleev completed the first version of the periodic table, there were many elements and spaces that had yet to be discovered. With various analyzes he was able to accurately predict these missing elements.
The atomic mass shown in the periodic table is the weighted average of all isotopes of the element
Isotopes are atoms with the same number of protons but different number of neutrons. Since the mass of an atom comes from its protons and neutrons, if the number of neutrons is different, the atomic mass of each isotope will also be different. Thus, the atomic masses you see in the periodic table are actually the weighted average of all isotopic masses.
The periodic table is modeled after a card game.
Known for his fondness for card games, Mendeleev took these games as an example while preparing the periodic table. He wrote the weight of each element on a separate card and arranged them in the Solitaire game style we all know.