Question

Why did Mendeleev leave gaps in his Periodic Table?

Answer 1

Mendeleev's Periodic table:

• Mendeleev, a Russian chemist, proposed a table of known elements in 1869.
• Only 63 elements were known at the time. He groups the elements according to their increasing atomic masses.
• The elements were organized by Mendeleev into groups and periods.
• He noticed that if he placed the eight components in each row before moving on to the next row, the columns would include elements with comparable qualities.

Reason for left space in Periodic table:

• The most intriguing aspect of Mendeleev's periodic chart is that he left certain slots for elements that had not yet been identified, as well as anticipated their atomic mass and chemical properties.
• The elements are ordered by increasing atomic mass as we proceed from left to right in a row.
• As Mendeleev structured his periodic table, he realized that these gaps will be filled as new elements were discovered by scientists in the future.