The periodic table of chemical elements, often called the periodic table,

organizes all discovered chemical elements in rows (called periods) and

columns (called groups) according to increasing atomic number. Scientists use
the periodic table to quickly refer to information about an element, like atomic
mass and chemical symbol. The periodic table’s arrangement also allows
scientists to discern trends in element properties, including electronegativity,
ionization energy, and atomic radius.

Many scientists worked on the problem of organizing the elements, but Dmitri
Mendeleev published his first version of the periodic table in 1869, and is most
often credited as its inventor. Since then, the periodic table has evolved to
reflect over 150 years of scientific development and understanding in
chemistry and physics. Today, with 118 known elements, it is widely regarded
as one of the most significant achievements in science.