South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-09-07
The Families of the atoms
BY GARRETT =. sERvIss.

bl GAhREI'
Gould you tell Us how many rec
ognized basic elements there are?
A. student Of the old school claims
there are but four, viz: Oxygen, hy-
drOgen. nitrogen and carbon, and
hat all substances are composed of
combinations OF these. According
to my information there are at least
so Independent elements which can
either be separated into any others
or produced by combining others. II
space permits. I believe 1t might in
terest many to read an article on
this subject, and to have a list OF
the names Of elements that science
recognizes.-OSCAR IT. OCKELS,
Bristol, Conn"
There are 81 chemical elements
now recognized, and although their
relative importance varies greatly,
when measured by the part hat they
play in the composition OF the ma
terial universe, they are as individ-
uals fundamentally distinct. While
recent discoveries indicate the posi-
bility OF a transmutation OF some
elements into others. yet this does
not abolish the inherent difference
between them.
II a pumpkin could be changed
into a cannon ball, pumpkins and
mo balls. as such. would still re-
main distinct species OF things. The
possibility Of transmutation shows
that the idea Of the Conservation OF
the elements" may be a mistake, but
II does not show that the various
elements, as We know them. are not
independent in their properties and
qualities.
Here IS q list Of the elements now
generally recognized arranged ac-
cording TO THEN atomic weights.
hydrogen leads the list because is
atom is the lightest known, and
uranium closes the list because its
atom Is the heaviest known. After
each element is given its atomic
weight expressed in whole numbers
and decimal fractions. II will be
observed that the weight o. the by
drogen atom is not made exactly T..
as might have been expected, but
ZOOS. This is because, for the con
venience Of chemical calculations.
the atomic weight of oxygen has
been liked at exactly 10, instead OF
1879. which would be the figures
il the table started with 1 for the
atomic weight of hydrogen:
Hydrogen, 1.0OS: helium. 4;
lithium, z; beryllium. 81; boron.
II; carbon. -; nitrogen, 1901;
oxygen. 10; huorine. 1s; icon, 20;
sodium, %; magnesium, 24.32;
aluminium. Ell; silicon, 2S.3:
phosphorus. 81; sulphur, 32.07;
chlorine, 35.46: potassium. Se.1;
argon, 99.s: calcium. 40.0e; scar
dunn, AL; titaniun. 4S.1; vana-
dunn. 512; chromium. %; manga
nese. 54.93; iron. 55.S5; nickel.
5S.6s; cobalt. 5s.97; copper. 1851;
zinc. 65.37; gallium, $50; ger
manium. 72.5: arsenic. 1896; selen-
ion. 1872; bromine. 1892; krypton,
So: rubidium. S5.45; strontium.
S7.62: yttrium. SO; zircopium, 5000;
columbian. $50: m~olybdium. 96;
%ruthenium. 1911; rhodium, 1929;
palladium. 1861: silver, 1O7.SS; cad
MUM. 112.4; indium, has: tin. 119:
anthony. 1903: iodine. 1852; tel
lurium, 1918; Xenon, 1907; caesium,
1891; barium. 137.37; lanthanum.
.139: cerium. 1925; praseodymium.
1905. neodymium, 1f4.3: samaritan,
1904. europium. 152: gadoliniuu,
1873: terbium, 1892: dyspro-
stun. 1925: er5ium. 1874; thulium.
1855: ~ytterbium. 1I2: lutecium. ia;
tantalum. Isl: tungsten, ie4; os-
MUM. 1909; iridium. 1881; plat
mum. 1876; gold. 1872; mercury,
200: thallium. 2O4: lead, 2O7: bis
muth. EOS; rad.um, 226.f; thoriuEi,
222.42: uranium. 23s.5.
This may look like q dry table.
but il takes on q different aspect
when We remember that Il is a lis:
Of all known families OF atoms. Al
element cannot be al element unless
i. consists exclusively OF SIS own
particular kind Of atoms. The
matchless distinction OF rank held
- an element is due 20 It's posses
sion OF such atoms. which no other
element can share with =.
BY various mixtures OF al these
, elements a vast variety OF COM
/ pound substances is formed. bu-
/ the atoms do not lose their ideu-
tity. for when the combinations
are broken Up out they come again.