Dmitri Mendeleev: Father of The Periodic Table.

Essay by alias33High School, 11th grade January 2006

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Dmitri Mendeleev was born in Tobolsk, Siberia (northern Russia), in 1834. His family owned a glass factory, which unfortunately burned to the ground. All the money saved for Dimitri's college education was spent rebuilding. His mother simply told him he must do better and get a full scholarship. This was difficult for him because he considered most topics that didn't relate to science insignificant, (dead), such as latin and history.

The family relocated to Moscow to start over, but due to political turmoil the University wasn't excepting anyone that wasn't from Moscow. Once again, they packed up and headed for St. Petersburg. With help from his fathers friend, Dimitri took entrance exams, passed, and was admitted to begin a science teacher training program on a full scholarship in 1850. He continued his studies even when bedridden with signs of tuberculosis, and finished in the top of his class. Mendeleev traveled abroad in the 1860's where he picked up information on new scientific and technological innovations.

Following his trip abroad, the Dimitri returned to his homeland where he settled down to a life of teaching and research in St. Petersburg.

On March 6, 1869 a formal presentation was made to the Russian Chemical Society, entitled The Dependence Between the Properties of the Atomic Weights of the Elements. In which Mendeleev stated that if elements were arranged according to their atomic weights exhibit a periodocity of properties, that elements with similar chemical properties have similar atomic weights, the elements which are the most widely diffused have small atomic weights, and the magnitude of the atomic weight determines the character of the element, just as the magnitude of the molecule determines the character of a compound body. He also found a way to predict future elements and some of their characteristics. Unknown to...