• Question: Have scientists found any patterns in the periodic table yet?

    Asked by The Guy (tm) to Angela, Claire, Ian, Robert, Sarah on 12 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Ian Cade

      Ian Cade answered on 12 Nov 2014:

      Yes…

      In fact it was the patterns noticed in the reactivity of some groups of elements that inspired creation of the table more than 100 years ago.

      There are patterns that you should be able to notice yourself:

      On the left and centre you find metals
      On the right non-metals and gasses
      …and at the bottom radioactive elements

      But these are only the most obvious patterns, the table is essentially *full* of subtle relationships between nearby elements. In fact I would go as far to say, that it is the study of these relationships that is the fundamental aspect of the subject we call Chemistry.

    • Photo: Angela Stokes

      Angela Stokes answered on 12 Nov 2014:

      I refer you to Ian’s answer, but I believe it was patterns that Mendeleev used when he constructed the first periodic table in 1869 .

Comments

  • Photo: The Guy (tm)

    The Guy (tm) commented on :

    As in any patterns for predicting say, the size of the next row of the periodic table. Thanks anyway!

  • Photo: Ian

    Ian commented on :

    Ah I see what you meant… Short answer yes (the next row would look a lot like the one above, except there would be a new ‘g-block’ between the s and f blocks)… but since the heavier the element the less stable it is (very broadly speaking) I’m not sure the row 8 elements will be around long enough to do any chemistry on them!

    The was a prediction that the row 7 elements under lead (and either side) would be unusually stable… and indeed they are with half lives of around 5-30s.