It's "Element"ary!
The Periodic Table of Elements
Did you ever wonder just what makes up the world around us? Ancient scientists believed that there were only four elements that made up the universe. Can you guess what they were? Check out the definition of element at WordCentral.Com . Click the back button when you are finished to return to this page.
Throughout ancient times and the middle ages scientists added to the list of known elements and changed their idea of the definition of element. Visit Elementymology to explore the elements known through the middle ages and the origins of their names.
As scientists studied elements over the years, their list of elements grew. One person who helped develop the modern list of elements organized into table form, is Dimitri Mendeleyev. Read about his work at Thinkquest. How many elements did he believe existed? Look at Mendeleyev's original table and scroll down to explore some other ways of organizing the elements.
As you continue your study of the elements, you will use the periodic table to explore the properties of the elements. There are many examples of interactive periodic tables available on the web. Use the links in the left column to complete your research on the elements of the Periodic Table.
Page last updated November 23, 2005