The underlying reason for these trends is electron configurations of atoms. The first periodic table to become generally accepted was that of the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869: he ...

Want to learn more about this centerpiece of chemistry? Take your pick from this collection of links about elements and the periodic table! Build an element ball, solve periodic puzzles, and check out ...

The cover of this issue shows an artistic representation of the equations of state of the periodic ... all-electron codes in each of the 10 crystal structure configurations shown on the table.

The ions formed have a full outer electron shell, so are very stable. See the study guide on groups in the periodic table for more information.