The Periodic Table of Elements

What is The Periodic Table?:

The periodic table is like a book that organizes all the elements known to mankind, from atoms to different types of metals. It was created by Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869, and the periodic table has evolved since then. In the 1860s, he was trying to organize the elements that were already known based on their properties and actions. Dimitri Mendeleev arranged the elements in order of increasing atomic mass. Today it is an important resource in chemistry that provides a way to understand the properties and relationships between elements.

Why Did Dimitri Mendeleev Make The Periodic Table?

Dimitri Mendeleev made the periodic table because he wanted to bring order to the messiness of the known elements. At the time he started the table, there were around 60 known elements, and scientists were struggling to understand the properties and relationships between the elements. Dimitri Mendeleev on the other hand, saw a pattern in the properties of the known elements when they were arranged by increasing atomic mass. By organizing them in a table, he could group elements with similar characteristics and help scientists understand the elements around them better.

How is The Periodic Table Organized and Grouped?:

The periodic table is organized horizontally by an increasing atomic number, which represents the number of protons in an atom's nucleus. As you move from left to right across a row, you will see that metals usually are on the left side, while nonmetals are more on the right side. Vertically, the periodic table is divided into groups or columns. Elements in the same group or column share similar chemical properties. Every element in the table is represented by a symbol and contains important information, which includes its atomic number and mass. The simplicity of this table makes it easy for scientists to grasp the behavior and relations of different elements.

What Are Lanthanides and Actinides?

Lanthanides and actinides are two series of elements that are placed below the main body of the periodic table. They are also known as the inner transition metals. 

The lanthanides are a series of 15 elements with atomic numbers going from 57 to 71, starting from the element known as lanthanum and ending with the element known as ytterbium. Lanthanides are placed below the main body of the periodic table to keep the table from becoming too wide. Lanthanides are known for their similar chemical properties.

The actinides are also a series of 15 elements with their atomic numbers going from 89 to 103. The series starts with the element known as actinium and ends with the element known as lawrencium. Like the lanthanides, the actinides are placed below the main body of the periodic table to keep the table from becoming too wide. The actinides are known for their radioactive properties, and many of them are synthetic or artificially created.

How Are Man-Made Elements Made?

Man-made elements are also known as synthetic elements. They are usually created through nuclear reactions in a laboratory. These elements are often created by colliding stable nuclei with high-energy particles, such as protons or neutrons, in a process called nuclear transmutation. Creating Man-made elements is a very complex process. The elements produced are usually highly unstable and exist for a very short time before going through radioactive decay. Most of the elements that come after Uranium (The 92nd Element) in the periodic table are synthetic, and scientists continue to create new elements in the laboratory.

Cool Things About The Periodic Table:

One of the periodic table's most interesting features is it can predict the properties of elements that haven't even been discovered or found yet. The gaps in the table indicate where these elements might eventually be found, based on the patterns observed in existing elements. This is extremely fascinating, as it is incredible how Dimitri Mendeleev knew that he didn’t know all of the elements and designed that table so perfectly to accommodate this issue.

What I Believe:

I believe that the periodic table is a perfect scientific tool for elemental organization. In the end, I think that it is a beautiful tool that helps advance our understanding of the universe and everything around us. Elements that were once elusive or developed in a lab, now have a spot on the periodic table.