Definition

1. Noun:
   • A systematic chart of the chemical elements: The periodic table is a structured arrangement of all known chemical elements, organized primarily by increasing atomic number (the number of protons in an atom's nucleus). This arrangement reveals periodic trends and patterns in the elements' properties, as described by the periodic law.

Usage

• The periodic table is a fundamental tool in chemistry, physics, and other sciences.
• It is used to predict the properties of elements, understand relationships between different elements, and organize chemical knowledge.
• It is typically displayed as a grid with rows called periods and columns called groups or families.

Examples

• Noun:
  • Students must memorize the first 20 elements of the periodic table.
  • The position of an element on the periodic table can tell you a lot about its reactivity.
  • Mendeleev is credited with creating the first widely recognized periodic table.

Advanced Usage

• "to consult the periodic table": To look at or use the periodic table for information.
  • When in doubt about an element's valence electrons, consult the periodic table.
• Conceptual use referring to the system of organization itself.
  • The elegance of the periodic table lies in its ability to predict the existence of then-unknown elements.

Variants and Related Words

• Periodic law (n): The scientific principle that the properties of elements are periodic functions of their atomic numbers. This is the foundational concept behind the table's structure.
• Period (n): A horizontal row on the periodic table.
• Group (n): A vertical column on the periodic table; elements in a group often share similar chemical properties (also called a family).

Synonyms

• Chemical table: A less common, more descriptive synonym.
• Table of the elements: A direct descriptive phrase.

Related Phrases

• Periodic trend (n phrase): A specific pattern in element properties across a period or down a group on the periodic table (e.g., atomic radius, electronegativity).
  • Ionization energy shows a clear periodic trend.
• To be placed/located on the periodic table (v phrase): Refers to an element's position.
  • Helium is located on the far right of the periodic table.

Noun

1. (chemistry) a tabular arrangement of the chemical elements according to atomic number as based on the periodic law