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You might have encountered the periodic table before. Maybe it felt like an intimidating jumble of blocks, or possibly just an unnecessary piece of decor in a science classroom. But there's far more to it than simply being a backdrop.
The periodic table (often abbreviated as PT) and its array of elements hold some fascinating secrets you probably weren’t aware of. From their unexpected origins to recent updates, here are ten astonishing facts about the periodic table of elements.
10. Mendeleev Didn’t Do It Alone
Since 1869, the periodic table has been an indispensable tool in chemistry, introduced by the bushy-bearded Dimitri Mendeleev. While Mendeleev is often seen as the sole creator and the 'genius' chemist of the century, his work was significantly supported by several European scientists who made key contributions in completing this monumental chart of elements.
Mendeleev is rightfully recognized as the father of the periodic table, but he didn’t catalog every element known at the time. Imagine how wild that would have been! It would have been the kind of madness only a 'Mad scientist' could dream up.
9. New Additions
Believe it or not, the periodic table remained relatively unchanged since the 1950s. That was, until December 2, 2016, when four new elements were introduced: nihonium (element 113), moscovium (element 115), tennessine (element 117), and oganesson (element 118). Though named in June 2016, these elements had to undergo a five-month evaluation process before being officially included in the table.
The elements were predominantly named after the cities or states where they were first discovered, except for oganesson. Oganesson’s name was chosen to honor Russian nuclear physicist Yuri Oganessian, recognizing his pivotal contributions to documenting this element.
8. The Letter ‘J’ is Missing
The English alphabet consists of 26 letters, each equally significant. However, Mendeleev didn’t agree. Can you guess which letter never made an appearance on the periodic table? A clue: Sing the alphabet and count on your fingers until you’ve counted all ten. The answer? ‘J’ is the only letter absent from the periodic table.
While it’s said that one is the loneliest number, perhaps ‘J’ takes the prize for the loneliest letter. Interestingly, ‘J’ holds the title of the most popular starting letter for boys' names since the year 2000. So, don’t worry, ‘J,’ you’ve found your fame.
7. Artificially Created Elements
As you’ve just discovered, the periodic table now includes a grand total of 118 elements. Out of these 118, can you figure out how many are artificially created? Interestingly, of the 118 elements, 90 are naturally occurring and found in the wonderful array of nature.
How is it possible that there are 28 man-made elements? Believe it or not, we’ve been creating elements since 1937, and the practice continues today. The periodic table makes it easy to find these elements; simply look at elements numbered 93 through 118. These elements, along with a few others like 43, 61, 85, and 87, are rarely found in nature and are typically synthesized in laboratories.
6. The 137th Element
In the mid-20th century, renowned scientist Richard Feynman made a striking prediction that resonated with scientists worldwide and kept them pondering. He claimed that if we were to ever discover the 137th element, we wouldn’t be able to quantify its protons and electrons. The number 137 is important as it represents the fine-structure constant, which describes the probability of an electron absorbing a photon. If element 137 existed, it would have 137 electrons, each with a 100-percent probability of absorbing a photon, and the electrons would orbit at the speed of light. Even more mind-boggling, the hypothetical element 139 would have electrons that orbit faster than the speed of light.
Had enough of the physics talk? Take a deep breath and let this one sink in, because it gets interesting (well, as interesting as electrons can get). The number 137 has the potential to bridge three major fields of physics: the speed of light, quantum mechanics, and electromagnetism. Since the early 1900s, scientists have speculated that 137 could be the key to the Grand Unified Theory, which might explain the connection between these three domains. While this idea may sound as far-fetched as the myths surrounding Area 51 or the Bermuda Triangle, it’s still an intriguing possibility.
5. The Meaning Behind the Names
The names of almost all the elements hold deeper significance than you might expect. These names weren’t chosen randomly. If it were up to me, I might have just picked a made-up word for an element, like ‘Kerflump.’ That’s the one.
Now, let’s move forward: the names of elements typically fall into one of five categories. Some are named after famous scientists—einsteinium is a prime example. Others are named after the places where they were first discovered, such as germanium, americium, and gallium. Some elements take their names from celestial bodies, like Uranium, discovered shortly after the planet Uranus was observed. Additionally, mythology plays a role, with elements like titanium (named after the Greek Titans) and thorium (named after the Scandinavian god of thunder—or a stellar Avenger, if you prefer).
Finally, there are elements named based on their properties. Take argon, for example, which comes from the Greek word argos, meaning ‘lazy’ or ‘idle.’ It’s safe to say that argon earns the title of the laziest element. Come on, argon, get to work! Bromine, on the other hand, is named after the Greek word bromos, meaning ‘stench,’ which is an accurate description of its unpleasant odor.
4. Unexpected Inspiration
If you’re a fan of card games, this fun fact is just for you. Mendeleev had the task of organizing all the elements and needed a method to do so. He turned to solitaire for his system. He wrote the atomic weights of each element on separate index cards and began his unique game of solitaire, stacking the elements by their properties, creating a type of ‘suit.’ This allowed him to arrange the elements into columns based on their atomic weight.
It’s already impressive to finish a regular game of solitaire, but Mendeleev was playing on an entirely different level. What’s next? Maybe someone will use chess to revolutionize astrophysics while creating a rocket that can travel to the edge of the galaxy and back with perfect stability? It doesn’t seem too unbelievable when you consider that Mendeleev managed something this significant with just a card game.
3. Carbon Takes the Spotlight
Get ready for carbon to shine like never before. You might think you know all there is to know about it, but carbon has much more to offer than you think. Did you know that there are more compounds containing carbon than those without it? Or that carbon makes up 20 percent of the weight of living organisms? Here’s something mind-blowing: Every carbon atom in your body was once part of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Carbon is not only a super element, it’s also the fourth most abundant element in the entire universe.
If the periodic table were a party, carbon would definitely be the life of it. This element knows how to have a good time. It’s also the key ingredient in diamonds, so add a little sparkle to the list of reasons why carbon is so incredibly cool.
2. The Chemistry of Love
For all the romantics out there, this one’s for you. Take a paper version of the periodic table and cut out all the complex, unnecessary middle columns. What you’re left with is a table missing elements. Now fold it in half at Group IV, and voilà—you’ve just discovered which elements can form compounds with each other.
The elements that ‘kiss’ when you fold the table are those that can combine in a stable manner. These elements have complementary electron structures, allowing them to bond. If that’s not true love, like Romeo and Juliet or even Shrek and Fiona, I don’t know what is.
1. The Exclusion of Noble Gases
Remember when we dubbed argon the most lethargic and unremarkable element in the entire universe? Well, Mendeleev wasn’t exactly thrilled by it either. When argon was first isolated in 1894, it didn’t fit neatly into any of the columns he had designed for the periodic table. Rather than bending his system to accommodate it, he simply opted to disregard its existence altogether.
What’s even more surprising is that argon wasn’t the only element to face this rejection. Along with the unclassified argon, five other elements were also denied a place. Yes, that’s right—element discrimination. No joke, radon, neon, krypton, helium, and xenon were all initially left off the chart simply because Mendeleev couldn’t find a slot for them. After many years of rearranging and reclassifying, these fortunate elements (known as the noble gases) finally earned their place in the world of existence. Congrats, elements— you’ve made it to the big leagues!
