Here's a periodic table of the elements that at last puts them in their proper place. A charting of the elements focusing on electron configuration, makes sense of the periodic makeup of the universe. It's easy to study and hopefully, remember.
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.......................................................................................................................................0...1
......................................................................................................................................Nu..H
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........................................................................................................................................1..2..3..4..5
....................................................................................................................................H.He.Li.Be..B
.......................................................................................................................6..7..8..9.10.11.12.13
........................................................................................................................C..N..O..F.Ne.Na.Mg.Al
.......................................................................................................................14.15.16.17.18.19.20.21
......................................................................................................................Si...P...S.Cl.Ar.K.Ca.Sc
....................................................................22.23.24.25..26.27.28..29.30..31.32..33.34.35.36.37.38.39
....................................................................Ti..V.Cr.Mn.Fe.Co.Ni.Cu.Zn.Ga.Ge.As.Se.Br.Kr.Rb.Sr..Y
....................................................................40.41..42.43.44.45.46.47..48.49.50.51.52.53.54.55.56.57
....................................................................Zr.Nb.Mo.Te.Ru.Rh.Pd.Ag.Cd.In.Sn.Sb.Te.I.Xe.Cs.Ba.La
....................................................................72.73..74.75.76.77.78.79..80.81.82.83.84.85.86.87.88.89
....................................................................Hf.Ta..W.Re.Os.Ir.Pt.Au.Hg.Tl.Pb.Bi.Po.At.Rn.Fr.Ra.Ac
***
.58..59..60..61..62..63..64..65..66..67..68..69..70..71
.Ce..Pr..Nd.Pm.Sm.Eu.Gd.Tb.Dy.Ho..Er.Tm.Yb..Lu
.90..91..92..93..94..95..96..97..98..99.100.101.102.103
.Th..Pa...U.Np.Pu.Am.Cm.Bk.Cr.Es..Fm..Md..No..Lr
104.105.106.107.108.109.110.111.112.113.114
.Ac...Db...Il...Rf...Bh..Hn..Mt
The chart begins with Nu (assigning "0" to the neutron, hence, Nu for neutron, or Sir Isaac Newton if you prefer, or neutral or maybe just new. Phonics are nothing new in the periodic chart, as example Bk for its namesake Berkley.)
In the same grouping are the "Noble" gases. Sure can't argue about the neutron being the most noble of them all. And like all these so-called inert gases, Nu doesn't need another electron to be happy and it isn't about to give one up unless under dire circumstances (beta particle emission from radioactive species is the only one I can think of readily).
So there lie the "Noble" gases sandwiched between those unhappy elements always on the lookout for an electron or so, and the hapless donors from which one can be so easily lured into a compromising position.
But wait, near the top of the table, what is hydrogen doing in two places at once. Here's an element that just can't be left alone, if it isn't pairing with one of the electron seekers, it's just as happily paired up with another electron donor, or if that isn't enough, will form a molecule of hydrogen gas by uniting with another hydrogen atom, never mind which plays the role of positive or negative, it all works out just fine.
At the bottom of the chart are the Lanthanides and Actinides, since their discovery no one has been able to decide where to put them because when you add them to the growing rows of elements in sequential number, they just spill off the page. The usual approach has been to just stick them in, anywhere there is space. Not only is that messy but it screws up the nice logical progression of elements, wherein you know for a fact that each increase in number means that there is an additional proton in the nucleus and the accompanying electron flying around in space. So in the Nu Periodic Table, we just chop them off following element 57 (Lanthanides, what else) and 89 (Actinides, of course) and house them in the nice corner on the upper left hand of the chart. (Didn't do this because of limitations of the word processor used to create the chart, but it is clearly possible to put them there.) On another matter, as you see, the elements don't quite line up in the proper groups due to the word processing program, and since it doesn't recognize tabs or more than a single space, periods have to be inserted for spacing. Maybe this is yet another reason for calling it a "period"ic table?
So there you have it, a Nu Periodic Table of elements arranged in a format that helps identify the acceptors and donors of electrons in a simplified manner. Now the valence of an atom is easily seen and thus its ability to form compounds and isn't that what the chart is all about. The table also focuses attention on carbon, there in the third row. Carbon no longer is hiding between boron and nitrogen but is given a position of dignity as the most important element in our small world, because without the complexities of the molecules formed from carbon, we just wouldn't exist.
N.B. One can extend the chart upward and add sub-atomic particles; the mesons, pions, quarks and such if one really wanted to make it a representative part of the real world of chemistry. Perhaps that's asking too much?
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Copyright 1997 J. S. Wortham