The United Nations has designated 2019 the International Year of the Periodic Table since it is the 150th anniversary of the publication of Mendeleev’s first periodic table. Whilst most people have heard about the Periodic Table, few understand the real beauty behind it – what the underlying principles are in its construction, and exactly how and why it ‘works’.
In this course, we will learn exactly what makes each element unique and exactly what order they follow in the periodic table. The first tables were constructed before a detailed understanding of the atom had been developed, and this was based largely on how the elements are related to one another, and how certain elements end up with very similar properties. The patterns famously enabled Mendeleev to predict the existence of missing elements – some of which proved to be extremely accurate, whilst other predictions turned out to be completely wrong. In order to understand the basis behind the arrangement, we will need to look at the electronic structure of atoms, and what happens when the elements form chemical bonds. Following on from this, we will explore how the shape and form of the table ultimately derives from Quantum Mechanics.
Having developed an understanding of how and why the Periodic Table works, in the final lecture we shall explore the history of its development and see that a number of scientists have a strong claim as discoverers of the Periodic Law prior to the publication of Mendeleev’s very first table in 1869.
The first four lectures will take place in the Department of Chemistry where some practical demonstrations will help illustrate the underlying trends. The final lecture will take place in St Catharine’s College, which houses the finest collection of material relating to the Periodic Table in the UK, including copies of some of the first publications, notably the first edition of Mendeleev’s classic work.
