Periodic Table of Elements: History, Element Names, Symbols, Trick to Learn

Modern Periodic Table: This article will elaborate on the periodic table and its characteristics. Read here to learn the key features, history, list of elements and easy tricks to remember the periodic table.

Atul Rawal
May 31, 2024, 13:28 IST
Get here Periodic Table Of Elements Chemistry With Names And Symbols.
Get here Periodic Table Of Elements Chemistry With Names And Symbols.

Periodic Table Chemistry: The periodic table of elements is a tabular arrangement of all known chemical elements, organised based on their atomic number, electron configurations, and recurring chemical properties. Elements are placed in order of increasing atomic number, which is the number of protons in an atom's nucleus. The table is divided into rows called periods and columns called groups or families.

Key Features of the Periodic Table

  • Periods: There are seven horizontal rows in the periodic table. Elements in the same period have the same number of electron shells.
  • Groups: There are 18 vertical columns. Elements in the same group have similar chemical properties and the same number of electrons in their outermost shell.
  • Element Symbols: Each element is represented by a unique one- or two-letter symbol, usually derived from its English or Latin name (e.g., H for Hydrogen, Au for Gold from "Aurum").
  • Atomic Number: The atomic number, which indicates the number of protons in an atom, is displayed above the element symbol.
  • Atomic Mass: The atomic mass, usually found below the element symbol, indicates the weighted average mass of an element's isotopes.

History of Periodic Table of Elements

  • Johann Dobereiner, a German chemist, was the first to consider trends among element properties in the early 1800s.
  • In 1829, Dobereiner identified similarities in the physical and chemical properties of several groups of three elements, called Triads.
  • Dobereiner noted that the atomic weight of the middle element in each Triad was approximately halfway between the atomic weights of the other two, and its properties were also intermediate.
  • Dobereiner's Law of Triads was dismissed as coincidental since it only applied to a few elements.
  • In 1862, French geologist A.E.B. de Chancourtois arranged elements by increasing atomic weights and created a cylindrical table to show periodic property recurrence, but it gained little attention.
  • John Alexander Newlands, an English chemist, proposed the Law of Octaves in 1865, observing that every eighth element had similar properties when arranged by increasing atomic weight.
  • Newlands compared this to musical octaves but his Law of Octaves applied only up to calcium and was not widely accepted initially.
  • Newlands was later awarded the Davy Medal in 1887 by the Royal Society, London.
  • Dmitri Mendeleev (1834-1907) and Lothar Meyer (1830-1895) independently developed the Periodic Law in 1869, observing periodic similarities in element properties when arranged by atomic weight.
  • Lothar Meyer plotted physical properties against atomic weight and found a repeating pattern, noting changes in the length of the pattern.
  • By 1868, Lothar Meyer had a table resembling the Modern Periodic Table but published it after Mendeleev.
  • Mendeleev is credited with publishing the Periodic Law, which states that the properties of elements are a periodic function of their atomic weights.
  • Mendeleev's work led to the development of the Modern Periodic Table, recognising periodic trends and allowing predictions of undiscovered elements.

Mendeleev’s work

  • Mendeleev arranged elements in a table with horizontal rows and vertical columns based on increasing atomic weights.
  • Elements with similar properties were placed in the same vertical column or group.
  • Mendeleev’s classification system was more elaborate than Lothar Meyer’s, considering a broader range of physical and chemical properties.
  • He emphasised the importance of periodicity, using similarities in empirical formulas and properties of compounds to classify elements.
  • Mendeleev recognised that some elements did not fit his classification scheme if strictly ordered by atomic weight.
  • He chose to ignore the atomic weight order when necessary, believing that atomic measurements might be incorrect, to keep elements with similar properties together.

Elements of Periodic Table

Here is a list of periodic table elements with their names, symbols, atomic numbers, atomic masses, number of electrons and protons in a tabular format:

Atomic Number
Element Name
Symbol
Atomic Mass (u)
Electrons
Protons
1
Hydrogen
H
1.008
1
1
2
Helium
He
4.0026
2
2
3
Lithium
Li
6.94
3
3
4
Beryllium
Be
9.0122
4
4
5
Boron
B
10.81
5
5
6
Carbon
C
12.011
6
6
7
Nitrogen
N
14.007
7
7
8
Oxygen
O
15.999
8
8
9
Fluorine
F
18.998
9
9
10
Neon
Ne
20.18
10
10
11
Sodium
Na
22.99
11
11
12
Magnesium
Mg
24.305
12
12
13
Aluminum
Al
26.982
13
13
14
Silicon
Si
28.085
14
14
15
Phosphorus
P
30.974
15
15
16
Sulfur
S
32.06
16
16
17
Chlorine
Cl
35.45
17
17
18
Argon
Ar
39.948
18
18
19
Potassium
K
39.098
19
19
20
Calcium
Ca
40.078
20
20
21
Scandium
Sc
44.956
21
21
22
Titanium
Ti
47.867
22
22
23
Vanadium
V
50.942
23
23
24
Chromium
Cr
51.996
24
24
25
Manganese
Mn
54.938
25
25
26
Iron
Fe
55.845
26
26
27
Cobalt
Co
58.933
27
27
28
Nickel
Ni
58.693
28
28
29
Copper
Cu
63.546
29
29
30
Zinc
Zn
65.38
30
30
31
Gallium
Ga
69.723
31
31
32
Germanium
Ge
72.63
32
32
33
Arsenic
As
74.922
33
33
34
Selenium
Se
78.971
34
34
35
Bromine
Br
79.904
35
35
36
Krypton
Kr
83.798
36
36
37
Rubidium
Rb
85.468
37
37
38
Strontium
Sr
87.62
38
38
39
Yttrium
Y
88.906
39
39
40
Zirconium
Zr
91.224
40
40
41
Niobium
Nb
92.906
41
41
42
Molybdenum
Mo
95.95
42
42
43
Technetium
Tc
98
43
43
44
Ruthenium
Ru
101.07
44
44
45
Rhodium
Rh
102.91
45
45
46
Palladium
Pd
106.42
46
46
47
Silver
Ag
107.87
47
47
48
Cadmium
Cd
112.41
48
48
49
Indium
In
114.82
49
49
50
Tin
Sn
118.71
50
50
51
Antimony
Sb
121.76
51
51
52
Tellurium
Te
127.6
52
52
53
Iodine
I
126.9
53
53
54
Xenon
Xe
131.29
54
54
55
Cesium
Cs
132.91
55
55
56
Barium
Ba
137.33
56
56
57
Lanthanum
La
138.91
57
57
58
Cerium
Ce
140.12
58
58
59
Praseodymium
Pr
140.91
59
59
60
Neodymium
Nd
144.24
60
60
61
Promethium
Pm
145
61
61
62
Samarium
Sm
150.36
62
62
63
Europium
Eu
151.96
63
63
64
Gadolinium
Gd
157.25
64
64
65
Terbium
Tb
158.93
65
65
66
Dysprosium
Dy
162.5
66
66
67
Holmium
Ho
164.93
67
67
68
Erbium
Er
167.26
68
68
69
Thulium
Tm
168.93
69
69
70
Ytterbium
Yb
173.05
70
70
71
Lutetium
Lu
174.97
71
71
72
Hafnium
Hf
178.49
72
72
73
Tantalum
Ta
180.95
73
73
74
Tungsten
W
183.84
74
74
75
Rhenium
Re
186.21
75
75
76
Osmium
Os
190.23
76
76
77
Iridium
Ir
192.22
77
77
78
Platinum
Pt
195.08
78
78
79
Gold
Au
196.97
79
79
80
Mercury
Hg
200.59
80
80
81
Thallium
Tl
204.38
81
81
82
Lead
Pb
207.2
82
82
83
Bismuth
Bi
208.98
83
83
84
Polonium
Po
209
84
84
85
Astatine
At
210
85
85
86
Radon
Rn
222
86
86
87
Francium
Fr
223
87
87
88
Radium
Ra
226
88
88
89
Actinium
Ac
227
89
89
90
Thorium
Th
232.04
90
90
91
Protactinium
Pa
231.04
91
91
92
Uranium
U
238.03
92
92
93
Neptunium
Np
237
93
93
94
Plutonium
Pu
244
94
94
95
Americium
Am
243
95
95
96
Curium
Cm
247
96
96
97
Berkelium
Bk
247
97
97
98
Californium
Cf
251
98
98
99
Einsteinium
Es
252
99
99
100
Fermium
Fm
257
100
100
101
Mendelevium
Md
258
101
101
102
Nobelium
No
259
102
102
103
Lawrencium
Lr
262
103
103
104
Rutherfordium
Rf
267
104
104
105
Dubnium
Db
270
105
105
106
Seaborgium
Sg
271
106
106
107
Bohrium
Bh
270
107
107
108
Hassium
Hs
277
108
108
109
Meitnerium
Mt
278
109
109
110
Darmstadtium
Ds
281
110
110
111
Roentgenium
Rg
282
111
111
112
Copernicium
Cn
285
112
112
113
Nihonium
Nh
286
113
113
114
Flerovium
Fl
289
114
114
115
Moscovium
Mc
290
115
115
116
Livermorium
Lv
293
116
116
117
Tennessine
Ts
294
117
117
118
Oganesson
Og
294
118
118

This table includes all 118 known elements, providing their names, symbols, and atomic numbers.

Image Source: yourdictionary.com

Classification of Elements of Periodic Table

Elements are grouped into four main categories: metals, nonmetals, metalloids, and noble gases. Here's a detailed classification:

  1. Metals
  • Alkali Metals (Group 1): Highly reactive, especially with water (e.g., Lithium, Sodium, Potassium).
  • Alkaline Earth Metals (Group 2): Less reactive than alkali metals, but still quite reactive (e.g., Beryllium, Magnesium, Calcium).
  • Transition Metals (Groups 3-12): Includes elements like Iron, Copper, and Gold, known for their conductivity and malleability.
  • Lanthanides: Rare earth elements, used in electronics and lasers (e.g., Lanthanum, Cerium).
  • Actinides: Radioactive elements, some synthetic (e.g., Uranium, Plutonium).
  1. Nonmetals
  • Hydrogen: Unique, not fitting into any single group.
  • Halogens (Group 17): Very reactive nonmetals, form salts with metals (e.g., Fluorine, Chlorine, Bromine).
  • Other Nonmetals: Essential for life, such as Carbon, Nitrogen, and Oxygen.
  1. Metalloids
  • Elements with properties intermediate between metals and nonmetals (e.g., Boron, Silicon, Germanium). These are often semiconductors.
  1. Noble Gases (Group 18)
  • Inert gases, nonreactive due to having a complete valence electron shell (e.g., Helium, Neon, Argon).

Periodic Trends:

  • Atomic Radius: Decreases across a period and increases down a group.
  • Ionization Energy: Increases across a period and decreases down a group.
  • Electronegativity: Increases across a period and decreases down a group.

Modern Periodic Law:

  • States that the properties of elements are a periodic function of their atomic numbers. This law is the basis for the modern periodic table.

Tricks to Learn Periodic Table Through Easy Mnemonic Phases

Check here the easy ways to remember the periodic table for Indian students. Source: Quora

Group 1: (Li Na K Rb Cs Fr)

  • LiNa ne Kri RuBy Cse Friendship

Group 2: (Be Mg Ca Sr Ba Ra)

  • Beta Maange Car Scooter Baap Razi

Group 3: (B Al Ga In Th)

  • Baingal Aaalo Gajar In Thaila

Group 14: (C Si Ge Sn Pb)

  • Chemistry Sir Gives Sanki Problems

Group 15: (N P As Sb Bi)

  • Nana Patekar Aishwary Sab Bindass

Group 16: (O S Se Te Po)

  • us se tepo

Group 17: (F Cl Br I As)

  • Fir kal Bahar Aai Esi

Group 18: (He Ne Ar Kr Xe Rn)

  • Hena ar kreen ki xeroz Rangeen

3d Series- (Sc Ti V Cr Mg Fe Co Ni Cu Zn)

  • Science Teacher Very Cruel Mange Fees Copy Nikalo Copper Zinc

Creating mnemonic phrases can help you remember the order of elements, especially for the first 20 elements or specific groups.

First 10 Elements:

  • Hydrogen (H), Helium (He), Lithium (Li), Beryllium (Be), Boron (B), Carbon (C), Nitrogen (N), Oxygen (O), Fluorine (F), Neon (Ne).
  • Mnemonic: "Happy Henry Likes Beans Brown, Crusty, Not Over-Fried Nicely."

Group 1 (Alkali Metals):

    • Lithium (Li), Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Rubidium (Rb), Cesium (Cs), Francium (Fr).
  • Mnemonic: "Little Naughty Kids Rub Cats Fur."

Group 17 (Halogens):

    • Fluorine (F), Chlorine (Cl), Bromine (Br), Iodine (I), Astatine (At).
  • Mnemonic: "Fat Cats Bring In Ants."

These phrases are general and are available on other free online sources. You may refer to these or create your own.

This article concludes here with all the relevant information taken from NCERT and other authorised sources on the periodic table of chemistry. For more related information, check out the official website of Jagran Josh.

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FAQs

  • How to calculate atomic mass from the periodic table?
    +
    Atomic mass is defined as the mass of an element that can be calculated by simply adding the number of protons and neutrons of that element. mass number = protons + neutrons.
  • Name the first 20 elements.
    +
    The first 20 elements of the periodic table are as follows: H – Hydrogen, He – Helium, Li – Lithium, Be – Beryllium, B – Boron, C – Carbon, N – Nitrogen, O – Oxygen, F – Fluorine, Ne – Neon, Na – Sodium, Mg – Magnesium, Al – Aluminium, Si – Silicon. P – Phosphorus. S – Sulphur. Cl – Chlorine. Ar – Argon. K – Potassium. Ca – Calcium.

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