Predictions of Mendeleev’s Periodic Table
Mendeleev has made various predictions on the elements that are not known till that time on the basis of the atomic mass of the other elements present.
- Mendeleev predicted several elements after observing his periodic table. He estimated that some unfilled spots would be similar to elements existing in the given group.
- He named some elements as (eka)-(similar element), where Eka means ‘one’ in Sanskrit.
- Mendeleev predicted eka-boron (Eb), eka-aluminium (Ea), eka-manganese (Em), and eka-silicon (Es).
- These elements were later discovered to be Scandium, Gallium, Technetium, and Germanium respectively.
- Mendeleev also predicted an element between Thorium and Uranium amongst others.
Mendeleev’s Predictions and Actual Properties on Discovery:
| Property | Eka-silicon (predicted) | Germanium (found) | Eka-aluminium (predicted) | Gallium (found) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atomic Weight | 72 | 72.6 | 68 | 70 |
| Density | 5.5 | 5.36 | 5.9 | 5.94 |
| Melting Point | High | 1231 | Low | 302.93 |
| Formula of oxide | EO2 | GeO2 | E2O3 | Ga2O3 |
| Formula of chloride | ECl4 | GeCl4 | ECl3 | GaCl3 |
To conclude, in his time, Dmitri Mendeleev made a very insightful Periodic Table based on the Atomic Masses of Elements. It was the foundation of the Modern Periodic Table and successfully predicted several unknown elements of that time.
Mendeleev Periodic Table
Mendeleev’s Periodic Table was the first bold attempt to arrange all the known elements in a proper manner. This table was based on the principle of Mendeleev’s Periodic Law and was a significant step made in the direction of arranging all the known elements.
According to Mendeleev, the characteristics of elements are a periodic function of their atomic masses and thus he arranged all the known elements of that time in increasing order of their atomic mass in the form of a table called Mendeleev’s Periodic Table.
Let’s learn more about Mendeleev’s Periodic Law and his periodic table in detail in this article.