Discovering the Periodic Table

Ancient Times 1894-1918

H Midd. -1700 1923-1961 He

1735-1843 1965-

1843-1886
Li Be B C N O F Ne

Na Mg Al Si P S Cl Ar

K Ca Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn Ga Ge As Se Br Kr

Rb Sr Y Zr Nb Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd In Sn Sb Te I Xe

Cs Ba La Hf Ta W Re Os Ir Pt Au Hg Tl Pb Bi Po At Rn

Fr Ra Ac Rf Db Sg Bh Hs Mt

Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu

Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr
Timeline of Elements Discovery
Journal of Chemical Education, Sept. 1989
 Discovering the Periodic Table
Ancient Times 1894-1918

H Midd. -1700 1923-1961 He

1735-1843 1965-

1843-1886
Li Be B C N O F Ne

Na Mg Al Si P S Cl Ar

K Ca Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn Ga Ge As Se Br Kr

Rb Sr Y Zr Nb Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd In Sn Sb Te I Xe

Cs Ba La Hf Ta W Re Os Ir Pt Au Hg Tl Pb Bi Po At Rn

Fr Ra Ac Rf Db Sg Bh Hs Mt

Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu

Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr
Journal of Chemical Education, Sept. 1989
 Discovering the Periodic Table
Ancient Times 1894-1918

H Midd. -1700 1923-1961 He

1735-1843 1965-

1843-1886
Li Be B C N O F Ne

Na Mg Al Si P S Cl Ar

K Ca Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn Ga Ge As Se Br Kr

Rb Sr Y Zr Nb Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd In Sn Sb Te I Xe

Cs Ba La Hf Ta W Re Os Ir Pt Au Hg Tl Pb Bi Po At Rn

Fr Ra Ac Rf Db Sg Bh Hs Mt

Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu

Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr
Journal of Chemical Education, Sept. 1989
 Symbols are Useful
The use of symbols is not unique to chemistry.
Symbols can be quite helpful - when you know what they mean.

Arithmetic Money Music

+ - x ..
$ c

A Swedish chemist who invented modern chemical symbols.

Discovered the elements:

silicon, selenium, cerium, and thorium.
Jons Jakob Berzelius
(1799 - 1848)
 Discovering the Elements

Metal gold silver iron mercury tin copper lead

Symbol

Celestial body Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn

Day
Latin (dies) Solie Lunae Martis Mercurii Jovis Veneris Saturni

French dimanche lundi mardi mercredi jeudi vendredi samedi

English Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Ringnes, Journal of Chemical Education, Sept. 1989, page 731

 Chemical Symbols

Gold
Sun Silver
Moon Iron
Mars Copper
Venus Lead
Saturn Tin
Jupiter Mercury
Mercury

Symbols
Ancient
used
Astronomical
in the 16th and
Symbols
17th Century

Fire Air Earth Water

Alchemical Symbols used in the 15th Century

Brownlee, Fuller, Hancock, Sohon, Whitsit, First Principles of Chemistry, 1931, page 74
 Chemical Symbols

Antimony Water Copper Sulfur Sulfuric acid

Symbols used in the 18th Century

Oxygen Nitrogen Copper C Soda

Hydrogen Sulfur Mercury Potassa

Carbon Silver S Lead L Gold G

Water Carbon dioxide Alcohol

Symbols used by John Dalton

Brownlee, Fuller, Hancock, Sohon, Whitsit, First Principles of Chemistry, 1931, page 74