The Periodic Table: From Alchemy to the Nuclear Age - Hardcover

DK

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0241686504 ISBN 13: 9780241686508

Publisher: DK, 2025

Synopsis

This is the periodic table as you’ve never seen it before. By presenting the elements in the order in which they were discovered, The Periodic Table also tells the story of chemistry.

Now iconic, the table was invented in the 1800s, long before anyone knew what was inside an atom. As more elements were found, the table got bigger. Some were discovered at risk to life and limb – for example, the hunt for the explosive element fluorine injured or even killed several scientists, who came to be known as the fluorine martyrs. Even now, the table is still growing as scientists push the boundaries of science and technology to add to the 118 elements discovered so far. Some of the newest elements have been observed only as they briefly flicker into existence in the extreme conditions inside particle colliders and accelerators.

Gorgeous photographs show even the most familiar elements in a new light. Bold, clear infographics and artworks reveal aspects of their atomic structure that explain the science behind why they behave the way they do. For example, why is gold so malleable and diamond so incredibly hard? How can bismuth levitate, and why does cobalt make paint such a vivid blue?

This is a stylish and beautiful book that will delight all science fans. If you want to unlock the secrets of all the matter that has ever existed in the Universe, open The Periodic Table.

About this title

From the Back Cover

All the chemical elements that make up the universe - pictured, analysed, and explained.

Every atom in the Universe belongs to one of 118 different types, and each of these builds an elemental substance. Some elements, such as copper and gold, are unreactive and have been extracted intact from Earth's crust by miners since prehistory. More elusive elements including arsenic and phosphorus were revealed by medieval alchemists. Since then, scientists and chemical engineers have isolated many more elements that were invisible, hidden, rare, or unstable. Once enough elements were revealed, scientists noticed patterns that chimed like notes on a keyboard, and arranged the elements into eight columns, according to the "law of octaves". This became the periodic table, now 118 elements strong, that partly describes and explains the nature of these fundamental substances.

By presenting the elements in the order in which they were discovered - from the lead and carbon of antiquity to the latest radioactive elements flickering briefly into existence in the lab - the book tells the story of chemistry. With bold, clear graphics, it looks at why each element is different, showing how each type of atom leads to the unique chemistry of its element. Every element has: graphics of its atoms or chemical reactions, gorgeous images of the element in nature and in use by humans in technology or culture, and a big infographic data file including key information such as how it was created in the Universe, and where it crops up on Earth or in the human body.

The human stories set in their historic context, combined with bold design and striking images, make this a perfect introduction to chemistry. If you want to unlock the secrets of matter itself, open The Periodic Table.

Edition details

• Publisher: DK
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0241686504
• ISBN 13: 9780241686508
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288