Scientists had a tough time creating the periodic table. Here are some of the challenges they faced:
Finding New Elements: In the early 1800s, people knew only about 30 elements. By 1869, that number had grown to 63 elements.
Getting Atomic Mass Right: At first, the atomic mass values weren’t very accurate. This caused some elements to be placed incorrectly on the table. For instance, back in the 1860s, scientists changed the atomic mass of oxygen from 8 to 16.
Classifying Elements: It was hard to group elements by their properties. This was especially tricky for transition metals because they showed different properties.
Understanding Periodic Trends: Scientists needed to observe and test things a lot to figure out consistent patterns. This work led to Mendeleev creating the periodic table in 1869.
Scientists had a tough time creating the periodic table. Here are some of the challenges they faced:
Finding New Elements: In the early 1800s, people knew only about 30 elements. By 1869, that number had grown to 63 elements.
Getting Atomic Mass Right: At first, the atomic mass values weren’t very accurate. This caused some elements to be placed incorrectly on the table. For instance, back in the 1860s, scientists changed the atomic mass of oxygen from 8 to 16.
Classifying Elements: It was hard to group elements by their properties. This was especially tricky for transition metals because they showed different properties.
Understanding Periodic Trends: Scientists needed to observe and test things a lot to figure out consistent patterns. This work led to Mendeleev creating the periodic table in 1869.