Synopses & Reviews
In this authoritative Very Short Introduction to the periodic table, Eric Scerri presents a modern and fresh exploration of this fundamental topic in the physical sciences, considering the deeper implications of the arrangements of the table to atomic physics and quantum mechanics. Scerri looks at the trends in properties of elements that led to the construction of the periodic table, and how the deeper meaning of its structure gradually became apparent with the development of atomic theory and quantum mechanics, so that physics arguably came to colonize an entirely different science, chemistry.
Review
"Entertainingly historical and touches on quite large themes like the nature of the scientific method...Overall this stylish and snappy book will entertain and enlighten you, and its convenient size means it can do so while you're on the go." -- Chemistry World
About the Author
Eric Scerri is a lecturer in chemistry as well as history and philosophy of science at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Atomic weight, Triads and Prout
3. Steps towards the periodic table
4. Triumph of a Russian genius
5. The impact of the new physics
6. How the electron explains the periodic table
7. How chemists reacted
8. Quantum Mechanics makes further advances
9. Forged in the stars
10. Back to Chemistry
11. Why so many tables? Which is best?
Further reading