Apply as a tutor to teach students online from anywhere in the world.

  

Apply as a tutor to teach students online from anywhere in the world.

Education

13 Little-Known Facts About Periodic Table

facts about periodic table

Ever tried to think beyond the tiny boxes of the periodic table?

Unfortunately, students of this age are asked to memorize tons of elements, without learning the fun facts about the periodic table.

As a matter of fact, knowing the interesting details about this table, i.e., the history of the table, the traditional ways to identify the elements, the founder of the periodic table, etc., can make chemistry less boring and trigger the motivation for learning.

Related Read: Transition Elements

Here are the amazing facts about the periodic table:

1. Dmitri Mendeleyev Presented this Table in the 1860s!

This table was presented by a Russian scientist named Dmitri Mendeleyev on 6th March 1869.

2. This Periodic Table Wasn’t the First Standard Periodic Table

You might consider this table the first to appear back in the 80s. Well, that’s just a myth! Many scientists took the initiative to arrange the elements in a table, but it was Dmitri Mendeleyev’s table that was deemed credible by the scientific community.

3. Out of One Hundred and Eighteen Elements, 20 are Man-Made!

The periodic table of elements has a total of 118 elements. The 98 elements that occur in nature and the rest are artificially made.

4. Its Rows Are Called Periods!

Do you know why we call this table the “periodic” table? Because the rows of it are known as periods.

5. Technetium is the First Artificial Element!

Yes! That’s true! Technetium can be artificially produced in nuclear power stations. Further, it is the lightest element on the table that only holds unstable radioactive isotopes.

6. Metals Occupy Most of the Boxes of Periodic Table

There are around 90 metals in the periodic table. The six groups of metals are alkali metals, basic metals, alkaline earth, lanthanides, transition metals, and actinides.

7. This Table Might Change its Shape in the Future!

Scientists are continuously striving to discover and create new elements. They are currently working on the element numbers 119 and 120. To be precise, new elements might be added to this table in the upcoming years.

8. Periodic Table’s Most Recent Version Was Approved in 2018

It keeps on updating depending on newly discovered elements. IUPAC (International Union of Pure Applied Chemistry) is the one that approves its versions.

9. Battery Polarity was Used for Weighing Elements in History

Back in the 1890s, scientists used to break the solutions into different atoms with the help of the pass-the-current technique. Batteries then separate the atoms. The batteries' polarity would force all the atoms of one element to go in one direction and the others in a different direction. This way, the scientists collected the atoms in different containers and weighed them.

10. The Hidden Secret of Periodic Table and Card Games!

Most students don’t know that Dmitri Mendeleyev loved the card game, Solitaire. He used the cards to write the elements' weights and sorted them according to this game's rules.

11. The Order of the Increasing Atomic Numbers was Used to Design the Periodic Table

Dmitri Mendeleyev arranged the elements of this table in increasing order of atomic number.

12. Some Elements Have the Names of Renowned Scientists and Even Planets

Doesn’t Uranium and Uranus sound similar? They do because Uranium was named soon after Uranus was discovered. Elbert Einstein’s name was also given to one of the elements, i.e., Einsteinium. Many other elements were named after the places where they were discovered.

13. The Periodic Table Might Not Accept More than 137 Elements

If the atoms can have electrons faster than the speed of light only then the periodic table can have more than 137 elements, and that’s not possible!

Find Top Tutors in Your Area


Find A Tutor

With over 3 years of experience in teaching, Chloe is very deeply connected with the topics that talk about the educational and general aspects of a student's life. Her writing has been very helpful for students to gain a better understanding of their academics and personal well-being. I’m also open to any suggestions that you might have! Please reach out to me at chloedaniel402 [at] gmail.com

LATEST POST