Dmitri Mendeleev
Russian chemist who created the periodic table of elements.
He used the periodic law to correct the properties of known elements and to predict the existence and properties of three undiscovered elements: germanium, gallium, and scandium.
- field
- Chemistry
- nationality
- Russian
- known_for
- Formulating the periodic law and creating a version of the periodic table of elements
Lore & Background
He was the youngest of 17 siblings, though the exact number differs among sources. After his father became blind and lost his teaching position, and his mother's glass factory was destroyed by fire, Mendeleev attended the Gymnasium in Tobolsk at age 13.
Reader's Guide
He claimed to have envisioned the complete arrangement in a dream. He accurately predicted the properties of three unknown elements—ekasilicon, ekaaluminium, and ekaboron (later germanium, gallium, and scandium)—and corrected the valence and atomic weight of uranium. The synthetic element mendelevium is named in his honor. His legacy endures as the foundation of modern chemical classification.
Did You Know?
- Mendeleev predicted the properties of three undiscovered elements: germanium, gallium, and scandium.
- The synthetic element mendelevium is named in his honor.
- He claimed to have envisioned the complete arrangement of the periodic table in a dream.
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