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Periodic Table Presentations and Inspirations

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Mary E. Saecker

Journal of Chemical Education, Madison, WI 53715

J. Chem. Educ., 2009, 86 (10), p 1151

DOI: 10.1021/ed086p1151

Publication Date (Web): October 1, 2009

Abstract

The 2009 ACS National Chemistry Week theme of “Chemistry—It’s Elemental” celebrates the elegant, orderly, and inspirational icon of chemistry, the periodic table. Many informative ways have been used to present information about the elements and to represent their properties in graphic form. In addition to numerous articles demonstrating various arrangements of the periodic system throughout history, the periodic table has inspired many people to recreate the world through its powerful lens. This chemical muse has captured the imagination of writers, singers, artists, and chefs. The elegance and order of the periodic table, combined with the idea of a single chart to organize information, has inspired “periodic tables” on many topics other than chemistry, including many playful treatments of the periodic table, such as the Periodic Table of the Elephants and the Periodic Table of Rejected Elements. In this whimsical spirit, the Periodic Table of the Beans is presented, in which the elements have been stripped of their names and replaced with beans that have taken on the character of the elemental letters. Resources to help understand and celebrate the elements and the periodic table are provided in this article.