The periodic table : its story and its significance /
Scerri, Eric R.,author.
"The periodic table of elements is among the most recognizable image in science. It lies at the core of chemistry and embodies the most fundamental principles of science. In this new edition, Eric Scerri offers readers a complete and updated history and philosophy of the periodic table. Written in a lively style to appeal to experts and interested lay-persons alike, The Periodic Table: Its Story and Its Significance begins with an overview of the importance of the periodic table and the manner in which the term "element" has been interpreted by chemists and philosophers across time. The book traces the evolution and development of the periodic table from its early beginnings with the work of the precursors like De Chancourtois, Newlands and Meyer to Mendeleev's 1869 first published table and beyond. Several chapters are devoted to developments in 20th century physics, especially quantum mechanics and and the extent to which they explain the periodic table in a more fundamental way. Other chapters examine the formation of the elements, nuclear structure, the discovery of the last seven infra-uranium elements, and the synthesis of trans-uranium elements. Finally, the book considers the many different ways of representing the periodic system and the quest for an optimal arrangement." -- Publisher's description.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Introduction -- The periodic system -- Quantitative relationships among the elements and the origins of the periodic table -- Discoverers of the periodic system -- Mendeleev -- Prediction and accommodation : the acceptance of Mendeleev's periodic system -- The nucleus and the periodic table : radioactivity, atomic number, and isotopy -- The electron and chemical periodicity -- Electronic explanations of the periodic system developed by chemists -- Quantum mechanics and the periodic table -- Astrophysics and nucleosynthesis -- The seven last infra-uranium elements to be discovered -- Synthetic elements -- Forms of the periodic table -- More chemistry.
"The periodic table of elements is among the most recognizable image in science. It lies at the core of chemistry and embodies the most fundamental principles of science. In this new edition, Eric Scerri offers readers a complete and updated history and philosophy of the periodic table. Written in a lively style to appeal to experts and interested lay-persons alike, The Periodic Table: Its Story and Its Significance begins with an overview of the importance of the periodic table and the manner in which the term "element" has been interpreted by chemists and philosophers across time. The book traces the evolution and development of the periodic table from its early beginnings with the work of the precursors like De Chancourtois, Newlands and Meyer to Mendeleev's 1869 first published table and beyond. Several chapters are devoted to developments in 20th century physics, especially quantum mechanics and and the extent to which they explain the periodic table in a more fundamental way. Other chapters examine the formation of the elements, nuclear structure, the discovery of the last seven infra-uranium elements, and the synthesis of trans-uranium elements. Finally, the book considers the many different ways of representing the periodic system and the quest for an optimal arrangement." -- Publisher's description.
Mendeleyev, Dmitry Ivanovich, 1834-1907.
Periodic table of the elements.
Chemical elements.
Chemistry