The Periodic Table: Its Story and Its Significance.THE PERIODIC TABLE: ItS Story and Its Significance ERIC R. SCERRI The periodic table is an icon of science, yet its significance is often overlooked, writes Scerri, a chemistry professor. He recounts the history of the periodic table The periodic table is a tabular method of displaying the chemical elements. Although earlier precursors exist, its invention is generally credited to the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869. and explains the concept of periodicity periodicity /pe·ri·o·dic·i·ty/ (per?e-ah-dis´i-te) recurrence at regular intervals of time. pe·ri·o·dic·i·ty n. 1. . Greek philosophers conceived of the elements as earth, wind, fire, and water. In the late 18th century, chemists Robert Boyle and Antoine Lavoisier Noun 1. Antoine Lavoisier - French chemist known as the father of modern chemistry; discovered oxygen and disproved the theory of phlogiston (1743-1794) Antoine Laurent Lavoisier, Lavoisier developed the idea of simple substances. Dimitri Mendeleyev introduced his periodic system of elements in 1869. The 20th-century notion of the atom and its constituents had a profound impact on chemistry. Scerri reviews the discoveries of electrons, radioactivity, and periodicity, and the connection between quantum mechanics quantum mechanics: see quantum theory. quantum mechanics Branch of mathematical physics that deals with atomic and subatomic systems. It is concerned with phenomena that are so small-scale that they cannot be described in classical terms, and it is and the periodic table. Finally, he addresses the ongoing, controversial efforts to rearrange the periodic table. Oxford, 2006, 346 p., b&w images, hardcover, $36.00. |
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