The periodic table is one of the most potent icons in science. It lies at the core of chemistry and embodies the most fundamental principles of the field. The one definitive text on the development of the periodic table by van Spronsen (1969), has been out of print for a considerable time. The present book provides a successor to van Spronsen, but goes further in giving an evaluation of the extent to which modern physics has, or has not, explained the periodic system. The book is written in a lively style to appeal to experts and interested lay-persons alike.
The Periodic Table begins with an overview of the importance of the periodic table and of the elements and it examines the manner in which the term 'element' has been interpreted by chemists and philosophers. The book then turns to a systematic account of the early developments that led to the classification of the elements including the work of Lavoisier, Boyle and Dalton and Cannizzaro. The precursors to the periodic system, like Döbereiner and Gmelin, are discussed. In chapter 3 the discovery of the periodic system by six independent scientists is examined in detail.
Two chapters are devoted to the discoveries of Mendeleev, the leading discoverer, including his predictions of new elements and his accommodation of already existing elements. Chapters 6 and 7 consider the impact of physics including the discoveries of radioactivity and isotopy and successive theories of the electron including Bohr's quantum theoretical approach. Chapter 8 discusses the response to the new physical theories by chemists such as Lewis and Bury who were able to draw on detailed chemical knowledge to correct some of the early electronic configurations published by Bohr and others.
Chapter 9 provides a critical analysis of the extent to which modern quantum mechanics is, or is not, able to explain the periodic system from first principles. Finally, chapter 10 considers the way that the elements evolved following the Big Bang and in the interior of stars. The book closes with an examination of further chemical aspects including lesser known trends within the periodic system such as the knight's move relationship and secondary periodicity, as well at attempts to explain such trends.
Pre-Publication Reviews.
"Written to a high standard of scholarship, "The Periodic Table" is the only book of its kind currently on the market, giving both an historical and philosophical perspective to the development of this key to the elements. The philosophical discussion Scerri weaves through its pages is rarely found in chemistry books, giving it a special quality that will appeal to the scientific community at large. In years to come it will be seen as essential reading for all who aspire to lecture and write on the subject." - John Emsley, author of "The Elements" and "Nature's Building Blocks"
"As the author of "The Periodic System of Chemical Elements: A History of the First Hundred Years" (1969), I consider Scerri's "The Periodic Table: Its Story and Its Significance" a worthy successor. I declare his new book a must, not only for all historians of chemistry and the other natural sciences, but also for the scientists and pupils thereof." -- Jan W. van Spronsen, author of "The Periodic System of Chemical Elements: A History of the First Hundred Years" "Few concepts are more important in chemistry than the periodic table, and Eric Scerri's book offers a wonderfully thorough, lucid, and provocative introduction for both chemists and the scientifically literate to this major cultural contribution. Anyone interested in the foundations of chemistry will take delight, inspiration, and information from this highly approachable book." - Peter Atkins, author of "The Periodic Kingdom", "Molecules" etc.
"The periodic table of elements is the family tree of stuff, and Eric Scerri's book tells the story of its evolution--through all the false starts and inspired insights, mutations and selections, driven by philosophy as much as calculation. Like any family story, it's a messy tangle of relationships--between elementary particles and between people. The ultimate question is philosophical: Does it all boil down to different configurations of hydrogen? Or is chemistry--and therefore nature--ultimately irreducible?" -K.C. Cole, Author of "The Universe and the Teacup: The Mathematics of Truth and Beauty" and "Mind Over Matter: Conversations with the Cosmos".
