AboutRalph Salier-Hellendag Expertise Science Fair Judge for many years and experience with robotics, biology, chemistry, industrial processes, metalurgy and metal forming.
Experience Science Fair Judge for many years and have helped several students get to state level competition. Most recently 2 of my students received state level awards and one went on to the nationals in Washington DC.
Education/Credentials BA Archaeology - Anthropology
MA Business Anthropology
Question why did Mendeleyev change the layout of the elements into rows and columns?
When Mendeleyev changed the layout, there were gaps. How did the gaps help scientists looking for undiscovered elements?
Answer Hi Jean,
He hypothisized that the weight of the elements were based on the structure of the elements including the number of protons, neutrons and electrons. He determined that the nature of some elements were very stable and others were highly reactive. These allowed him to then postulate periodic location and this as you pointed out created gaps. These gaps had to be filled based on the math but the nature and identity of these was unknown. This is also how we find new ones today. Most of these are very radioactive and highly volitile lasting only moments in time.
The weight is based on molecular weight which then increases incrementally thus allowing the identification of these gaps.
