Science Periodic Table Essay

The Periodic Table The periodic table has been updated all throughout history. Elements have been around us since the beginning of time. Elements, such as gold and silver, are examples of these elements that have been known for centuries. The periodic table allows us to see the elements in their families so we can understand what properties they have. It also allows us to see the atomic number, atomic mass, and the symbol of the element. The periodic table is a source of knowledge that is still being updated as of this day. That is why the periodic table is such a valuable resource. In ancient times, the elements gold and silver were discovered. Another element that was known at this time was copper. The Greek philosopher, Aristotle said that all elements were made out of these four “roots.” The philosopher, Plato, renamed the “four roots” earth, fire, water, and air. Although they introduced the concept of elements, they did nothing to advance the nature of the matter, which matter is made of. The age of enlightenment was a big adventure for the science world. Hennig Brand was the first person recorded to have discovered a new element. He was a German merchant who went bankrupt, while trying to discover the Philosopher’s Stone. The Philosopher’s stone was a mythical object that was supposed to turn inexpensive base metals into gold. He experimented with distilling human urine until he finally obtained a white substance which he named phosphorous in 1649. Brand did not go to the public with his discovery until another scientist named Robert Boyle rediscovered it and took it to the public. In 1661, Boyle defined an element has a substance that cannot be broken down by chemical means. Antoine Lavoisier developed the first chemistry textbook. This included the elements oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, phosphorous, mercury, zinc, and sulfur. Lavoisier's descriptions of the elements only classified elements as metals or non-metals. Johann Döbereiner began to classify