Is there a limit to the elements in the Periodic Table?

consisting of 118 elements The Periodic Table is a systematic representation of all known chemical elements on our planet and even outside our planet.. 92 of these elements are natural, while 26 are synthetic, that is, artificially produced through the manipulation of those found in “nature”.

A. The last update of the table was made in 2016. with the inclusion of elements: Nihônio (113), Muscovio (115), Tenessino (117) and Oganessônio (118). But while formalization only took place in 2016, the last element discovered was in 2010 by the Tennessean.

So has nothing else been discovered in all this time, or could there still be more elements in the Periodic Table? Now is the time to satisfy your curiosity and learn more.

A painting is born

Since the 18th century, various ideas have been put forward regarding the classification and arrangement of the elements known at that time. However, although some models have been proposed by well-known scientists such as chemists Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier and Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner, The painting as we know it was only completed in 1869.

The inventor of the table is Russian chemist and physicist Dmitri Mendeleev, who was inspired by the discovery of the atomic weight of elements, which was first discussed at the International Congress of Chemists held in Germany in 1860.

The “father of the periodic table” not only arranged the elements in increasing order of their atomic numbers, but he also anticipated and left gaps so that new elements could be accommodated as they were discovered. The model has since been updated and revised, and the organization currently responsible for this service is the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).

What is the limit of the periodic table?

There are no restrictions on the inclusion of new chemical elements in the regulation, but other factors contribute to the lack of so many updates. The last element synthesized and officially recognized was Tenessino, which took 6 years to be officially recognized by IUPAC..

This does not mean that new elements have not been produced in the last decade, but there is difficulty in studying these new elements.

Elements, whether natural or synthetic, must have a certain “durability” in order to be examined and categorized. However, when their nuclei are so unstable, their millisecond half-lives prevent a full understanding.

For example, imagine you are making a ball of sand where each grain is an atom. Wet sand will have more stability and you will be able to identify the shape, size and behavior of this ball.

However, if the ball is made of fine, dry sand, even if you manage to form a sphere, it will quickly disintegrate and you will not have enough time to describe the same features observed in the previous example.

Like this, Proving that the created element is actually something new and not a corruption of a previously studied element is a complex task..

But this does not mean that it is impossible for the table to receive new elements. The advancement of science and technologies can produce new methods for the analysis and preservation of elementsalthough it is very unstable.

And yes, there will be room at the table to welcome new members. Who knows, maybe one day something will be added in his honor?

If you enjoy learning about curiosities in the world of chemistry, you might also enjoy learning the history of the non-existent chemical element Coronium. To the next one!