Real life uses of Modern Periodic Table

The periodic table represents an arrangement of the chemical elements based on their atomic number so that the periodic properties of the elements (i.e. the chemical periodicity) can be made clear. The periodic table was not  recognized until the second decade of the 20th century that the arrangement of elements in the periodic system is that of their atomic numbers, the integers of which are equal to the positive electrical charges of the atomic nuclei are expressed in electronic units. In subsequent years great progress was seen in explaining the periodic law in terms of the electronic structure of atoms and molecules. This clarification has greatly increased the value of the law, which is used as much today as it was at the beginning of the 20th century, when it expressed the only known relationship among the elements.

Importance of atomic numbers

In the pairs argon and potassium, cobalt and nickel, and tellurium and iodine, for example, the first element possesses the greater atomic weight but the earlier position in the periodic system. The solution to this difficulty was found only when the structure of the atom was better understood. In the year 1910 Sir Ernest Rutherford’s experiments on the scattering of alpha particles via the nuclei of heavy atoms resulted in the determination of the nuclear electrical charge. The ratio of the nuclear charge to that of the electron was calculated to be roughly one-half  of the atomic weight. Further in the year 1911 A. van den Broek suggested that this quantity, the atomic number, can be identified with the ordinal number of the element in the periodic system.  

That the exact atomic weight of an element has only small importance for its position in the periodic system is shown by the existence of isotopes of every elements and atoms with the same atomic number but different atomic weights. The chemical properties of the isotopes of an element are generally the same, and all the isotopes of an element occupy the same place in the periodic system in spite of their differences in atomic weight.

Real Life Uses of Some Periodic Elements

Hydrogen

Hydrogen forms about 90% of atoms in the entire universe. The chemical is used heavily as both a gas and a liquid fuel. Hydrogen was mainly used as a fuel for the Space Shuttle program by NASA, as well as currently being used heavily by the petroleum and manufacturing industries.

Helium

Helium gas is mainly known to be lighter than air, this leads to its use in weather and party balloons. It can also be used as an inert shield for arc welding and to pressurize liquid fuel tanks in rockets. Because of its wide recreational usage, natural sources of Helium are at a higher risk of being completely depleted in the next decade.

Lithium

Lithium is most commonly referred to be used in batteries. It also has its use in aluminium alloys, to make cookware more durable, and in psychiatric medicines as a mood stabilizer.

Beryllium

This element is most widely used as an alloying agent for copper. When combined, the resultant metal, beryllium copper, is further used for springs and a variety of electrical applications. Because of its lightweight metal properties, it can be used structurally in the aerospace industry.

Boron

It is used in pyrotechnics. When burned, it releases a green colour in the flame. Some more common uses are in boric acid and borax. We can find boron in antiseptics, washing chemicals, ceramic glazes, and eye drops.

Carbon

It is the most unique among the elements in its ability to form strongly bonded chains that are sealed off by hydrogen atoms. These hydrocarbons are mainly used as fuels and as a feedstock for the production of polymers, fibres, paints, solvents, and plastics, etc. Impure carbon in the form of charcoal (from wood) and coke (from coal) is mainly used in metal smelting. 

Graphite is used for pencils, crucibles, and electrodes. Pure diamond is also purely made of carbon atoms. The discovery of carbon nanotubes,  fullerenes, and atom-thin sheets of graphene has resulted in the use in the electronics industry and in nanotechnology generally.

Conclusion

The periodic table has one of the most important achievements in the field of chemistry. It is full of patterns that help us to better understand the world around us. There are many trends that enable us to predict the chemical behaviour of an element. These measurements are all related to either the number of valence electrons or to the attraction between the valence electrons and the nucleus of an atom. These trends include Ionization energy, Electronegativity, and Atomic Radius.