Which of the following element was not present in Mendeleev's Periodic...
Introduction:
In Mendeleev's Periodic Table, several elements were missing, as the table was not yet complete. One of the elements that was not present in Mendeleev's Periodic Table is francium.
Explanation:
Mendeleev's Periodic Table, proposed in 1869, was one of the first attempts to organize the known elements based on their chemical and physical properties. However, at that time, several elements had not yet been discovered or accurately characterized. Francium, in particular, was not discovered until 1939, several decades after Mendeleev's Periodic Table was introduced.
Properties of Francium:
- Francium is a highly radioactive alkali metal.
- It is the second rarest naturally occurring element in the Earth's crust.
- Francium is the most unstable of the first 101 elements, with a half-life of only a few minutes.
- Due to its high reactivity and short half-life, francium is extremely difficult to isolate and study.
Placement of Francium in the Modern Periodic Table:
In the modern periodic table, francium is placed in the alkali metal group (Group 1) along with elements such as lithium, sodium, and potassium. It is located below cesium (Cs) and rubidium (Rb) in the same group. Francium has the atomic number 87 and its symbol is Fr.
Significance of Mendeleev's Periodic Table:
Although Mendeleev's Periodic Table was incomplete and did not include elements like francium, it laid the foundation for the development of the modern periodic table. Mendeleev's approach of arranging elements based on their properties and leaving gaps for undiscovered elements allowed for the prediction of properties of yet-to-be-discovered elements. This predictive power of the periodic table was later confirmed when francium was discovered and found to exhibit similar characteristics to other alkali metals.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, francium was not present in Mendeleev's Periodic Table as it had not yet been discovered at the time. However, the modern periodic table includes francium in the alkali metal group, following the principles established by Mendeleev's Periodic Table.