Chemical Nostradamus

Vocabulary/new concepts:

Periodic table – The periodic table (also called the periodic system of the elements or Mendeleev table) is a tabular arrangement of the chemical elements according to the number of protons in the nuclei of their atoms and the similarity in their properties.

Group in the periodic table – A group is a column of chemical elements with similar properties.

Period in the periodic table – A period is a horizontal row of chemical elements arranged in order of increasing number of protons in the nuclei of their atoms.

A short story about Nostradamus

Nostradamus, born Michel de Nostradamus in 1503 in France, was famous for his prophecies. He was a doctor and astrologer who began writing his predictions in the 1550s. Nostradamus authored hundreds of little quatrains, known as “catenaries,” that he claimed predicted significant world events because he claimed to have the capacity to see into the future. In a collection known as the Centuries, these were gathered and grouped into groups of 100 catenaries. Some people contend that he foresaw numerous historical occurrences, including the ascent of Napoleon and Hitler and the 9/11 attacks, and his predictions are being studied and analysed today. Even though many interpretations of Nostradamus’s writings are arbitrary and based on erroneous translations that misrepresent the original text’s meaning, interest in his work has not diminished throughout the ages. Its widespread appeal demonstrates that people are curious about the future and look for significance in the unknown and enigmatic.

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Parallel with chemistry

Like Nostradamus, who tried to predict the future of the world, chemists also “predict” the future – but they do it with the help of science. Based on their knowledge of the properties of elements and compounds, they can predict how different substances will react under different conditions. For example, when we know what is happening at the atomic and molecular level, we can predict the outcome of a chemical reaction – whether there will be an explosion, whether a new substance will be formed, or whether energy will be released. While Nostradamus used mysterious and poetic imagery, chemists relied on precise and clear laws of nature.

Just as Nostradamus predicted the future, Mendeleev, based on his deep knowledge of chemistry, predicted the existence of elements that had not yet been discovered at that time. But whereas Nostradamus relied on intuition and mystical methods, Mendeleev used scientific observation and logic to predict what awaited us in the chemical world. These predictions show the power of science to reveal the hidden and lead to discoveries.

The periodic table – the key to the secrets of the elements

Many years ago, scientists were trying to figure out how the chemical elements are arranged and what relationships exist between them. One of the most significant scientists in this field was the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev. In 1869, he created the first version of the periodic table, ordering the elements by increasing atomic mass (today we use the term “atomic number”) and noticing that their properties repeated periodically.

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Structure of the Periodic Table

There are two basic forms of the periodic table: classical (short-period ) and modern (long-period).

Modern (long period) periodic table

A periodic table is made up of rows (called periods) and columns (called groups). Each element has its own place in the table, indicating its properties and behaviour. Elements in the same group have similar chemical properties.

• Periods: The horizontal rows in the table begin with an alkaline element and end with a noble. The periods are seven in number and are indicated by Arabic numerals. The first three periods are small (contain 2 or 8 elements). The remaining periods are large – containing 18 or 32 elements. The first period contains two elements, hydrogen H and helium Ne. Each of the remaining periods begins with an alkali (Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr) and ends with a noble element (Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, Rn, Og).
• Groups: a group is a column of chemical elements with similar properties. Elements in a group have similar properties and react similarly with other substances. The groups in the classical periodic table are eight and are denoted by Roman numerals (I – VIII). Each group is divided into two subgroups: group A (main) and group B (secondary). The A groups contain elements from the major and minor periods, and the B groups contain only elements from the major periods. For example, the first group includes two subgroups, I A (group of the alkali elements) and I B (group of copper, silver and gold).

In the modern periodic table, the groups are eighteen and are denoted by Arabic numerals (1 – 18). There are no major or minor subgroups. For example, the alkali elements (Group I A) are in Group 1, and copper, silver and gold (Group I B) are in Group 11.

The cells of the periodic table contain information about the chemical element – name, chemical sign, atomic number, relative atomic mass, etc.

Practical benefit of the periodic table

The periodic table is an indispensable tool for scientists because it can be used to:

• Predict properties: this allows us to predict the physical and chemical properties of elements and their compounds.

The periodic table can be used to predict the chemical nature of an element by determining its place in the periodic table – which is its sequence number, in which period and in which group it is found.

The serial number indicates the number of protons in its nucleus and the number of electrons in its electron shell.
The group number indicates which is the higher valence of the element relative to oxygen.

For example: the chemical element sodium (Na) has the sequence number 11

Understanding the periodic table helps to understand chemistry in more depth.

• Discover new items: helps in the search and identification of new items.
• Develop materials: facilitates the creation of new alloys, polymers and other materials with specific properties.
• Advance Education and Science: Serve as a foundation for learning chemistry and understanding the world around us.

Dmitri Mendeleev – “The Chemical Nostradamus”

He earned his nickname by using the table he made to forecast the existence and characteristics of elements that had not yet been identified during his lifetime. Even though he saw that some areas of the table were empty, he was certain the “missing” pieces had to be there. He even outlines the qualities that these unknowns ought to possess to close the holes in the system. These elements were later uncovered by scientists, who concluded that Mendeleev was correct. This demonstrates the strength and foresight of science in general and the periodic table in particular.

Examples of predicted items:

1. Gallium (Ga). When gallium was discovered in 1875, its properties almost exactly matched those that Mendeleev had predicted.
2. Germanium (Ge). In 1886, the element germanium was discovered, and as with gallium, its properties confirmed Mendeleev’s prediction.
3. Scandium (Sc). In 1879, scandium was discovered, which also corresponds to the predicted properties.

Understanding the periodic table aids in our comprehension of the fundamentals of chemistry and the interactions between elements. It remains a crucial instrument in science and technology and holds the secret to solving many of nature’s riddles.

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