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The Periodic Table03:25

The Periodic Table

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As early chemists discovered more elements, they realized that various elements could be grouped by their similar chemical behaviors. One such grouping includes lithium (Li), sodium (Na), and potassium (K). All of these elements are shiny, conduct heat and electricity well, and have similar chemical properties. A second grouping includes calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), and barium (Ba), which also are shiny, good conductors of heat and electricity, and have chemical properties in common. However,...
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Elements are the smallest units of matter that cannot be broken down further by chemical processes. There are 118 known elements, but not all of these are naturally occurring, and only a few of them are essential for life. Living matter is composed primarily of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen, with smaller amounts of other elements like calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur. Other elements are also necessary for life but only in trace amounts.
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The periodic table arranges atoms based on increasing atomic number so that elements with the same chemical properties recur periodically. When their electron configurations are added to the table, a periodic recurrence of similar electron configurations in the outer shells of these elements is observed. Because they are in the outer shells of an atom, valence electrons play the most important role in chemical reactions. The outer electrons have the highest energy of the electrons in an atom...
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The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom is its atomic number (Z). This is the defining trait of an element. Its value determines the identity of the atom. For example, any atom that contains six protons is the element carbon and has the atomic number 6, regardless of how many neutrons or electrons it may have. A neutral atom must contain the same number of positive and negative charges, so the number of protons equals the number of electrons. This means that the atomic number also...
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Group 17 elements, known as halogens, are nonmetals. At room temperature, fluorine and chlorine are gases, bromine is a liquid, and iodine a solid. Astatine is a highly unstable radioactive element, so currently, most of its properties are unknown due to its short half-life. Tennessine is a synthetic element also predicted to be in this group. 
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The periodic table and the turn to practice.

Eric R Scerri1

  • 1Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.

Studies in History and Philosophy of Science
|February 20, 2020
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Summary

This study examines Andrea Woody's claims about chemical representations and the periodic table. It argues that distinctions in how Lothar Meyer and Mendeleev presented periodicity require qualification, challenging some of Woody's conclusions on prediction and explanation.

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Area of Science:

  • Philosophy of Science
  • History of Chemistry
  • Chemical Representation

Background:

  • Andrea Woody's article on the turn to practice in philosophy of science.
  • Focus on Lothar Meyer and Dmitri Mendeleev's use of representations for chemical periodicity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine Woody's claims regarding representational differences between Meyer and Mendeleev.
  • To evaluate the impact of these differences on prediction, accommodation, and the explanatory nature of the periodic table.

Main Methods:

  • Critical analysis of Woody's arguments.
  • Examination of historical examples of chemical periodicity representation.
  • Philosophical evaluation of scientific explanation and discovery.

Main Results:

  • Woody's claims regarding representational differences need qualification.
  • The link between representation and predictive success is complex.
  • The explanatory power of the periodic table is debated.

Conclusions:

  • The role of representation in scientific discovery requires nuanced understanding.
  • Woody's interpretation of the Meyer-Mendeleev case warrants revision.
  • The philosophical debate on prediction versus accommodation in science continues.