Born: Tobolsk, Siberia. February 8, 1834 Died: St. Petersburg, Russia. January 20, 1907 (age 73)
Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev attended the Gymnasium (a type of school in parts of Europe providing secondary education; similar to college preparatory high schools in the U.S.A) at age 13, after his father (Pavel Maximovich Sokolov) past away and after his mother's factory was burned down. Then the Mendeleev family moved to St. Petersburg, Russia in 1849. One year later, Dmitri attended the Main Pedagogical Institute, where he studied science, and graduated 6 years later in 1856.
In the eighth month of 1861, he wrote a book about the spectroscope. And in 1862, he married his wife, Feozva Nikitichna Leshcheva. Later in 1863, he became Professor of Chemistry at St. Petersburg Technological Institute, and by 1871, he changed St. Petersburg into a world renowned institute for chemistry research. He stayed at St. Petersburg until August 17, 1890, where he resigned.
Portrait of Dmitri Mendeleev by Ilya Repin
In 1881, Dmitri proposed to Anna Ivanova Popova, the woman he became obsessed with in 1876. He was divorced with Feozva Nikitichna Leshcheva one month after he married Anna Ivanova Popova in 1882. This divorce and the controversies surrounding it encouraged his failure to be accepted to the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Dmitri was appointed the Director of the Bureau of Weights and Measures in 1893. It was this position that allowed him to state new standards for vodka production. In 1894, a new standard of vodka was presented into Russian law and stated that all vodka had to be made at 40% alcohol.
Of all the things he did, he was probably most known for the arrangement of the 64 known elements into a periodic table that was based on the atomic mass of each. He published this in "Principles of Chemistry" in 1869. This periodic table was compiled, in ascending order, based on atomic mass and by similarities in properties.
He remained studying and teaching until his death on January 20, 1907 in St. Petersburg, Russia.
The Major Contribution
Mendeleev formally presented to the Russian Chemical Society, entitled "The Dependence between the Properties of the Atomic Weights of the Elements, on March 6, 1869. This later on became the basis of the Periodic Law and is shown below.
The elements, if arranged according to their atomic mass , exhibit an apparent periodicity of properties.
Elements which are similar as regards to their chemical properties have atomic weights which are either of nearly the same value (e.g., Pt, Ir, Os) or which increase regularly (e.g., K, Rb, Cs).
The arrangement of the elements in groups of elements in the order of their atomic weights corresponds to their so-called valencies, as well as, to some extent, to their distinctive chemical properties; as is apparent among other series in that of Li, Be, B, C, N, O, and F.
The elements which are the most widely diffused have small atomic weights.
The magnitude of the atomic weight determines the character of the element, just as the magnitude of the molecule determines the character of a compound body.
We must expect the discovery of many yet unknown elements–for example, two elements, analogous to aluminum and silicon, whose atomic weights would be between 65 and 75.
The atomic weight of an element may sometimes be amended by a knowledge of those of its contiguous elements. Thus the atomic weight of tellurium must lie between 123 and 126, and cannot be 128. Here Mendeleev was wrong as the atomic mass of tellurium (127.6) remains higher than that of iodine (126.9).
Certain characteristic properties of elements can be foretold from their atomic weights.
(Taken from Wikipedia)
After which he published his periodic table and his prediction of other new elements which completed his table, but he was laughed at for predicting there would be more radioactive elements.
Mendeleev's Periodic Table of Elements
Other Experiments, Contributions, and Discoveries
Germanium
At the age of 35, Mendeleev took his concept of stating it was possible to predict the properties of an undiscovered element. He proceeded to prove his point by making predictions for three new elements, Eka-Alu
Scandium
minum (Gallium), Eka-Boron (Scandium) and Eka-Silicon (Germanium). He predicted several properties of each, including density, radii, and combining ratios with oxygen among others. Nobody had really believed that he could predict properties of elements. He had no proof that any of his predictions were accurate. It was not until November, 1875, when French Scientist Lecoq de Boisbaudran discovered one of the elements, Eka-Silicon, which showed that his predictions were actually accurate. Further research would prove the other two predictions were pretty close to accurate. These discoveries took him to the top of the science world.
Gallium
Interesting Facts
He was a gym teacher for a while before finishing his graduate training at the University of St. Petersburg.
In another part of Physical Chemistry, he studied the expansion of liquid with heat, and created a formula that was similar to Gay – Lussacs law of the expansion of gases.
He also traveled a lot and he would teach as he was traveling. While he was on the trains he would travel third class with the peasants and discuss agriculture over a cup of tea.
Mendeleev was officially a bigamist, according to the Orthodox Church but this was overlooked by the Czar because Mendeleev was so famous.
Mendeleev was given credit for introducing the Russian Empire to the metric system.
Dmitri Mendeleev created Pyrocollodion; a type of smokeless powder based on Nitrocellulose. The work for Pyrocollodion was payed for by the Russian Navy, however they did not adopt its use. Mendeleev organized its manufacture in 1892.
Mendeleev studied the origins of petroleum and concluded that the abiogenic hydrocarbons are found deep under the earths surface. “The capital fact to know is that petroleum was born in the depths of earth, and it is only there that we must seek its origin” – Dmitri Mendeleev (1877)
In Russia, people believed that Mendeleev was the inventor of vodka.
In 1906, Mendeleev came within one vote of winning the nobel prize.
Since Mendeleev's death in 1907, 8 elements have been discovered and nearly 30 have been made in the laboratory. Mendeleev has an element named after him, atomic number 101 (Mendelevium).
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( Cue Applause )Personal History
Born: Tobolsk, Siberia. February 8, 1834
Died: St. Petersburg, Russia. January 20, 1907 (age 73)
Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev attended the Gymnasium (a type of school in parts of Europe providing secondary education; similar to college preparatory high schools in the U.S.A) at age 13, after his father (Pavel Maximovich Sokolov) past away and after his mother's factory was burned down. Then the Mendeleev family moved to St. Petersburg, Russia in 1849. One year later, Dmitri attended the Main Pedagogical Institute, where he studied science, and graduated 6 years later in 1856.
In the eighth month of 1861, he wrote a book about the spectroscope. And in 1862, he married his wife, Feozva Nikitichna Leshcheva. Later in 1863, he became Professor of Chemistry at St. Petersburg Technological Institute, and by 1871, he changed St. Petersburg into a world renowned institute for chemistry research. He stayed at St. Petersburg until August 17, 1890, where he resigned.
In 1881, Dmitri proposed to Anna Ivanova Popova, the woman he became obsessed with in 1876. He was divorced with Feozva Nikitichna Leshcheva one month after he married Anna Ivanova Popova in 1882. This divorce and the controversies surrounding it encouraged his failure to be accepted to the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Dmitri was appointed the Director of the Bureau of Weights and Measures in 1893. It was this position that allowed him to state new standards for vodka production. In 1894, a new standard of vodka was presented into Russian law and stated that all vodka had to be made at 40% alcohol.
Of all the things he did, he was probably most known for the arrangement of the 64 known elements into a periodic table that was based on the atomic mass of each. He published this in "Principles of Chemistry" in 1869. This periodic table was compiled, in ascending order, based on atomic mass and by similarities in properties.
He remained studying and teaching until his death on January 20, 1907 in St. Petersburg, Russia.
The Major Contribution
Mendeleev formally presented to the Russian Chemical Society, entitled "The Dependence between the Properties of the Atomic Weights of the Elements, on March 6, 1869. This later on became the basis of the Periodic Law and is shown below.
- The elements, if arranged according to their atomic mass , exhibit an apparent periodicity of properties.
- Elements which are similar as regards to their chemical properties have atomic weights which are either of nearly the same value (e.g., Pt, Ir, Os) or which increase regularly (e.g., K, Rb, Cs).
- The arrangement of the elements in groups of elements in the order of their atomic weights corresponds to their so-called valencies, as well as, to some extent, to their distinctive chemical properties; as is apparent among other series in that of Li, Be, B, C, N, O, and F.
- The elements which are the most widely diffused have small atomic weights.
- The magnitude of the atomic weight determines the character of the element, just as the magnitude of the molecule determines the character of a compound body.
- We must expect the discovery of many yet unknown elements–for example, two elements, analogous to aluminum and silicon, whose atomic weights would be between 65 and 75.
- The atomic weight of an element may sometimes be amended by a knowledge of those of its contiguous elements. Thus the atomic weight of tellurium must lie between 123 and 126, and cannot be 128. Here Mendeleev was wrong as the atomic mass of tellurium (127.6) remains higher than that of iodine (126.9).
- Certain characteristic properties of elements can be foretold from their atomic weights.
(Taken from Wikipedia)After which he published his periodic table and his prediction of other new elements which completed his table, but he was laughed at for predicting there would be more radioactive elements.
Other Experiments, Contributions, and Discoveries
Interesting Facts
He was a gym teacher for a while before finishing his graduate training at the University of St. Petersburg.
In another part of Physical Chemistry, he studied the expansion of liquid with heat, and created a formula that was similar to Gay – Lussacs law of the expansion of gases.
He also traveled a lot and he would teach as he was traveling. While he was on the trains he would travel third class with the peasants and discuss agriculture over a cup of tea.
Mendeleev was officially a bigamist, according to the Orthodox Church but this was overlooked by the Czar because Mendeleev was so famous.
Mendeleev was given credit for introducing the Russian Empire to the metric system.
Dmitri Mendeleev created Pyrocollodion; a type of smokeless powder based on Nitrocellulose. The work for Pyrocollodion was payed for by the Russian Navy, however they did not adopt its use. Mendeleev organized its manufacture in 1892.
Mendeleev studied the origins of petroleum and concluded that the abiogenic hydrocarbons are found deep under the earths surface. “The capital fact to know is that petroleum was born in the depths of earth, and it is only there that we must seek its origin” – Dmitri Mendeleev (1877)
In Russia, people believed that Mendeleev was the inventor of vodka.
In 1906, Mendeleev came within one vote of winning the nobel prize.
Since Mendeleev's death in 1907, 8 elements have been discovered and nearly 30 have been made in the laboratory. Mendeleev has an element named after him, atomic number 101 (Mendelevium).
Resources/References:
http://www.chemistry.co.nz/mendeleev.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dmitri_Mendeleev#cite_note-1
http://corrosion-doctors.org/Biographies/MendeleevBio.htm
http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/ci/1992/Mendeleev.html
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