• Question: Can you remember the periodic table off by heart ?

    Asked by Laura to Francesca, Laura, Matthew, Andrew, Rebecca on 17 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Matthew Camilleri

      Matthew Camilleri answered on 17 Nov 2014:


      There is no way to go around this, so I have to say no, not even the first 30 elements if I am put under pressure. I know what most letters stand for, so I can use it whenever I want, but I would have to look for the masses of each element if it is not one of the common elements I use.

    • Photo: Laura Schofield

      Laura Schofield answered on 17 Nov 2014:


      Nope not a chance! I can do the first 4 periods (rows) and then random ones and if you give me a name I can tell you the symbol or if you tell me the symbol I can tell you the name…does that count?

    • Photo: Andrew McKinley

      Andrew McKinley answered on 17 Nov 2014:


      If you gave me a blank periodic table, I could probably fill in about 45 squares correctly. Ok; give me a minute!

      ..
      .
      Ok, so I’ve just had a go, and I got 43 correct… Shocking 🙁 (but 45 wasn’t a bad guess!)

      It’s actually not something you have to know by heart. I fear that ‘knowing it by heart’ is not a productive learning exercise. What is better is to know how it is constructed, and how one thing relates to those around it. When you focus on one element (I worked on Ruthenium during my research), you learn about those around it too (Iron, Osmium, Iridium and Rhodium) (and yes, these was the five elements i started building my periodic table with just now as they were the first ones I could remember!)

      You can always come up with mnemonics if you want to remember it…
      Scativkrominfekonicousin: The first row of transition metals:
      Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn

      Very useful when you don’t have a periodic table to hand. But then, why would you allow yourself to be in such an unfortunate position…

    • Photo: Francesca Palombo

      Francesca Palombo answered on 17 Nov 2014:


      I remember the periodic table by groups, at least the s and p blocks

    • Photo: Rebecca Ingle

      Rebecca Ingle answered on 18 Nov 2014:


      I mostly work with elements lighter sulfur so I don’t really need to know too far down, you do come to remember a surprising amount of it (and when you start learning about the reactivity of groups like flourine, chlorine etc. that helps) but I can’t say I know the whole of it!

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