However, two scientists in Moscow, Russia, have recently published aproposal for a new order.
Lets first consider how the periodic table was developed.
By the early 19th century, there wasgood circumstantial evidencefor the existence of atoms.
Simple lists, of course, are one-dimensional in nature.
The periodic table was born.
Importantly, Mendeleevs periodic table had been derived empirically based on the observed chemical similarities of certain elements.
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But the latter now followed from the arrangement of electrons repeating in so-called shells at regular intervals.
Todays periodic table.Offnfopt/Wikipedia
It would be understandable to think that this would be the end of the matter.
Not so, however.
A simple search of the internet will revealall sorts of versionsof the periodic table.
There are short versions, long versions, circular versions, spiral versions, and even three-dimensional versions.
The precise placement of certain elements depends on which particular properties we wish to highlight.
If one orders the elements by their MN, nearest neighbors have, unsurprisingly, rather similar MNs.
These are compounds composed of two elements, such as sodium chloride, NaCl.
What is the benefit of this approach?
Importantly, it can help to predict the properties of binary compounds that havent been made yet.
In time, no doubt, this will be extended to compounds with more than two elemental components.
Period table showing the relative abundance of elements.
European Chemical Society/wikipedia,CC BY-SA
Take mobile phones, for instance.
But we should not think of new versions as replacements for earlier depictions.
Having many tables and lists only serves to deepen our understanding of how elements behave.
This article is republished fromThe ConversationbyNick Norman, Professor of Chemistry,University of Bristolunder a Creative Commons license.
