Unit 6.4 Timeline of the Elements

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COPPER Copper was probably the first metal mined and crafted by IRON man. It was originally obtained as a native metal and later There is evidence that iron from smelting ores. Earliest was known from before 5000 estimates of the discovery of GOLD BCE. The oldest-known iron copper suggest around 9000 objects used by humans are ARSENIC BCE in the Middle East. It was Archaeologists suggest that some beads of meteoric iron, one of the most important the first use of gold began made in Egypt in about 4000 TIN In use in the early bronze materials to humans with the first civilizations in BCE. The discovery of smelting age; Albertus Magnus was throughout the copper and the Middle East. It may have around 3000 BCE led to the First smelted in combination the first European to isolate bronze ages. Copper beads been the first metal used by start of the iron age around with copper around 3500 BCE the element in 1250. In 1649, dating from 6000 BCE have humans. The oldest remaining 1200 BCE and the prominent to produce bronze and brass. Johann Schröder published been found in Çatalhöyük, gold jewellery is that in the use of iron for tools and The oldest artefacts date from two ways of preparing Anatolia. tomb of Egyptian Queen Zer. weapons. around 2000 BCE. elemental arsenic.

9000 BCE 7000 BCE 6000 BCE 5000 BCE 3750 BCE 3500 BCE 3000 BCE 2500 BCE 2000 BCE

LEAD SILVER CARBON ANTIMONY MERCURY It is believed that lead smelting Estimated to have been The earliest known use In widespread use in Egypt Known to ancient Chinese began at least 9,000 years ago, discovered shortly after copper of charcoal was for the and the Middle East. Basilius and Indians before 2000 BCE, and the oldest-known artefact and gold (Asia Minor). reduction of copper, zinc and Valentinus was the first and found in Egyptian tombs of lead is a statuette found at tin ores in the manufacture European to describe the dating from 1500 BCE. the temple of Osiris on the site of bronze, by the Egyptians element around 1450. First of Abydos, Egypt, dated circa and Samaritans. Diamonds description of a procedure 3800 BCE. were probably known as early for isolating elemental as 2500 BCE. The first true antimony in 1540 by Vannoccio SULFUR chemical analyses were made Biringuccio. in the eighteenth century, First used at least 4,000 years and in 1789 carbon was listed ago in China/India. Recognised by Antoine Lavoisier as an as an element by Antoine element. Lavoisier in 1777.

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ZINC Extracted as a metal since MANGANESE antiquity (before 1000 BCE) by Indian metallurgists, but Torben Olaf Bergman the true nature of this metal distinguished pyrolusite as the was not understood in ancient MAGNESIUM calx of a new metal. Ignatius times. Identified as a unique NICKEL Gottfred Kaim also discovered metal by the metallurgist COBALT Discovered by Baron Axel Joseph Black observed the new metal in 1770 as Rasaratna Samuccaya in Fredrik Cronstedt when that magnesia alba (MgO) well as Scheele in 1774. It 800 and by the alchemist Georg Brandt proved that the attempting to extract copper was not quicklime (CaO). was isolated by reduction Paracelsus in 1526. Isolated by blue colour of glass is due to from the mineral known as Humphrey Davy isolated the of manganese dioxide with Andreas Sigismund Marggraf a new kind of metal and not ‘fake copper’ (now known as metal electrochemically from carbon by Johan Gottlieg Gahn in 1746. bismuth as thought previously. niccolite). magnesia. in 1774.

1000 BCE 1669 1732 1735 1751 1753 1755 1766 1770 1771

PHOSPHOROUS PLATINUM BISMUTH HYDROGEN OXYGEN

Prepared from urine, by First description of a metal Described in writings Henry Cavendish was the first Carl Wilhelm Scheele obtained

Henning Brand, it was the found in South American gold attributed to Basilius to distinguish H2 from other it by heating mercuric oxide first element to be chemically was in 1557 by Julius Caesar Valentinus around 1450. gases, although Paracelsus and nitrates in 1771, but discovered. Scaliger. Antonio de Ulloa Definitively identified by around 1500, Robert Boyle, published his findings in 1777. published his findings in 1748, Claude François Geoffroy in and Joseph Priestley had Joseph Priestley also prepared but Sir Charles Wood also 1753. observed its production by this new air by 1774, but only investigated the metal in 1741. reacting strong acids with Lavoisier recognised it as a First reference to it as a new metals. Lavoisier named it in true element and named it in metal was made by William 1793. 1777. Brownrigg in 1750.

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NITROGEN Daniel Rutherford showed that the air in which animals had breathed, even after removal TUNGSTEN of the exhaled carbon dioxide, STRONTIUM was no longer able to burn a CHLORINE Torben Olaf Bergman obtained candle. Carl Wilhelm Scheele, from scheelite an oxide of William Cruikshank and ZIRCONIUM Henry Cavendish and Joseph Carl Wilhelm Scheele obtained a new element. Juan José Adair Crawford concluded Priestley also studied the it from hydrochloric acid, but Elhuyar and Fausto Elhuyar that strontianite contained a Martin Heinrich Klaproth element about the same time, thought it was an oxide. Only obtained tungstic acid from new earth. It was eventually identified a new element in and Lavoisier named it in in 1808 was it recognised as an wolframite and reduced it with isolated electrochemically in zirconia. Isolated by Jons 1775–6. element, by Humphry Davy. charcoal. Isolated in 1783. 1808 by Humphry Davy. Jakob Berzelius in 1824.

1772 1774 1778 1781 1782 1787 1789

BARIUM MOLYBDENUM TELLURIUM LIST OF ELEMENTS URANIUM

Carl Wilhelm Scheele Carl Wilhelm Scheele Franz-Joseph Müller von Antoine Lavoisier compiled the Martin Heinrich Klaproth distinguished a new earth recognised it as a constituent Reichenstein observed it as first modern list of chemical mistakenly identified a (BaO) in pyrolusite and of molybdena. Isolated by an impurity in gold ores from elements, containing among uranium oxide obtained from Humphrey Davy isolated the Peter Jacob Hjelm in 1781. Transylvania. Isolated by others, twenty-three elements pitchblende as the element metal by electrolysis. Martin Heinrich Klaproth circa of those known then. He also itself and named it after the 1795. redefined the term ‘element’. recently discovered planet Until him, all metals except Uranus. Isolated by Eugène- mercury were not considered Melchior Péligot in 1841. elements.

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TITANIUM VANADIUM William Gregor found an oxide TABLE OF THE ELEMENTS of a new metal in ilmenite Andrés Manuel de Río found and Martin Heinrich Klaproth the metal in vanadinite but Science teacher, John Dalton, independently discovered the retracted the claim after TANTALUM presents his Table of the element in rutile in 1795 and Hippolyte Victor Collet- Anders Gustaf Ekeberg found Elements to the Manchester named it. First isolated by Jons Descotils disputed it. Nils another element in minerals Literary and Philosophical Jakob Berzelius in 1825. Pure CHROMIUM Gabriel Sefström isolated and similar to columbite, and in Society. He had realised that metallic form was obtained Discovered and isolated from named it in 1830, and later it 1844 Heinrich Rose proved the Law of Fixed Proportions only in 1910 by Matthew A. crocoite, by Louis Nicolas was shown that Río had been that it was distinct from could only work if the elements Hunter Vauquelin. Isolated in 1798. right in the first place. niobium. were made up of atoms.

1791 1794 1797 1798 1801 1802 1803

YTTRIUM BERYLLIUM NIOBIUM PALLADIUM CERIUM Johan Gadolin discovered it in Louis Nicolas Vauquelin Charles Hatchett found the William Hyde Wollaston Jons Jakob Berzelius and gadolinite ore, but Carl Gustaf discovered the oxide in beryl element in columbite ore discovered it in samples of Wihelm Hisinger discovered Mosander showed later that it and emerald, and Martin and named it columbium. platinum from South America, the element in ceria and contained more elements, in Heinrich Klaproth suggested Heinrich Rose proved in 1844 but did not publish his results named it after the newly 1840. the present name around 1808. that the element is distinct immediately. He had intended discovered asteroid (then Isolated by Freidrich Wohlner from tantalum, and renamed to name it after the newly considered a planet), Ceres. and Antoine Bussy in 1828. it niobium, which was officially discovered asteroid (then Martin Heinrich Klaproth accepted in 1949. Isolated by considered a planet), Ceres, discovered it simultaneously Christian Wilhelm Blomstrand but by the time he published and independently in some in 1864. his results in 1804, cerium had tantalum samples. Carl Gustaf taken that name. Wollaston Mosander isolated it in 1839, named it after the more recently proving that the samples of discovered asteroid, Pallas. all three researchers had at least another element in it, lanthanum. INVESTIGATING SCIENCE © GILL EDUCATION Unit 6.4 Timeline of the Elements

IRIDIUM Tennant had been working on samples of South American platinum in parallel with Wollaston and discovered CALCIUM two new elements, which he POTASSIUM IODINE named osmium and iridium, Humphrey Davy discovered and published the iridium Humphrey Davy discovered it the metal by electrolysis of Bernard Courtois discovered it results in 1804. by using electrolysis on potash. quicklime. in the ashes of seaweed.

1803 1804 1807 1808 1811 1817

OSMIUM RHODIUM SODIUM BORON LITHIUM

Smithson Tennant had been Willian Hyde Wollaston Humphrey Davy discovered it On 30 June 1808, Joseph Louis Johan August Arfwedson working on samples of South discovered and isolated it from a few days after potassium, by Guy-Lussac and Louis Jacques discovered the alkali in American platinum in parallel crude platinum samples from using electrolysis on sodium Thénard announced a new petalite. with Wollaston and discovered South America. hydroxide. element in sedative salt, and two new elements, which he nine days later Humphrey Davy named osmium and iridium. announced the isolation of metallic boron.

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SILICON Humphry Davy thought in 1800 that silica was an element, CADMIUM not a compound, and in 1808 suggested the present name. Karl Samuel Leberecht In 1811, Louis-Joseph Gay- BROMINE Hermann, Freidrich Stromeyer Lussac and Louis-Jacques and J. C. H. Roloff found an Thénard probably prepared Antoine Jerome Balard THORIUM ERBIUM unknown metal in a sample impure silicon, but Berzelius is and Leopold Gmelin both of zinc oxide from Silesia, but credited with the discovery for discovered the element in the Jons Jakob Berzelius obtained Carl Gustaf Mosander managed the name that Stromeyer gave obtaining the pure element in autumn of 1825, and published the oxide of a new earth in to split the old yttria into yttria became the accepted one. 1824. the results the following year. thorite. proper and erbia.

1817 1824 1825 1826 1829 1838 1842

SELENIUM ALUMINIUM TRIADS OF ELEMENTS LANTHANUM TERBIUM

Jons Jakob Berzelius and Antoine Lavoisier predicted in Johann Wolfgang Dobereiner Carl Gustaf Mosander found Carl Gustaf Mosander Johan Gottlieg Gahn, while 1787 that alumine is the oxide announces his Law of Triads, a new element in samples of managed to split the old yttria working with lead, discovered of an undiscovered element, based on the apparent fact ceria and published his results into terbia also. a substance that they thought and in 1808 Humphry Davy that elements seemed to be in 1842, but later, he showed was tellurium, but realised tried to decompose it, and related in groups of threes. that this lanthana contained after was a different although he failed, suggested four more elements. substance. the present name. Hans Christian Ørsted was the first to isolate metallic aluminum in 1825.

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PERIODIC TABLE RUTHENIUM Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev arranges the sixty-three Jedrzej Sniadecki isolated the elements known at that time element in 1807 but his work RUBIDIUM into the first modern periodic was not ratified. Gottfried INDIUM table and correctly predicts Wilhelm Osann thought he Robert Bunsen and Gustav several others. Julius Lothar found three new metals in Kirchhoff discovered it just a Ferdinand Reich and LAW OF OCTAVES Meyer also creates a table of Russian platinum samples, few months after caesium, by Hieronymous Theodor Richter forty-nine elements based on and in 1844 Karl Karlovich observing new spectral lines in first identified it in sphalerite John Alexander Reina ‘valancies’, in 1864, but it is not Klaus confirmed that there the mineral lepidolite. Bunsen by its bright indigo-blue Newlands proposes his Law published until 1870; it also was a new element. The latter never obtained a pure sample spectroscopic emission line. of Octaves; he noted that the has periodic and predictive is usually recognised as the of the metal, which was later Richter isolated the metal elements showed periodic abilities. But Mendeleev had discoverer of the element. obtained by Hervesy. several years later. similarity at intervals of eight. published first, in 1869.

1844 1860 1861 1863 1864 1868 1869 1875

CAESIUM THALLIUM PROPORTIONAL NUMBERS HELIUM GALLIUM

Robert Wilhelm Eberhard Shortly after the discovery of William Odling arranges the Pierre Janssen and Joseph Paul Émile Lecoq de Bunsen and Gustav Kirchhoff rubidium, William Crookes elements in order according Norma Lockyer observed Boisbaudran observed on a were the first to suggest found a new green line in a to their relative weights, in an independently a yellow Pyrenea blende sample some finding new elements by selenium sample, and later arrangement that would be spectral line in the solar emission lines corresponding spectrum analysis. They that year Clause-Auguste very similar to Mendeleev’s. spectrum that did not match to the eka-aluminum that discovered caesium by its Lamy found the element to be any other element. Years later, was predicted by Mendeleev two blue emission lines in a metallic. William Ramsay, Per Theodore in 1871, and subsequently sample of Dürkheim mineral Cleve and Nils Langlet isolated the element by water. The pure metal was observed independently the electrolysis. eventually isolated in 1882 by element trapped in cleveite Carl Setterberg. about the same time.

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PRASEODYMIUM YTTERBIUM NEODYMIUM GERMANIUM THULIUM SAMARIUM On 22 October 1878, Jean Carl Auer Von Welsbach In February 1886, Clemens Charles Galissard de Marignac Per Teodor Cleve split Paul Émile Lecoq de discovered two new Alexander Winkler found in reported splitting terbia into Marignac’s erbia into erbia Boisbaudran noted a new distinct elements in argyrodite the eka-silicon that two new earths, terbia proper proper and two new elements, earth in samarskite and named ceria: praseodymium and Mendeleev had predicted in and ytterbia. thulium and holmium. it after the mineral. neodymium. 1871.

1878 1879 1880 1885 1886

HOLMIUM SCANDIUM GADOLINIUM DYSPROSIUM FLUORINE

Marc Delafontaine found it in Lars Fredrik Nilson split J. Marignac initially observed Paul Émile Lecoq de Lavoisier predicted an element samarskite, and the following C. G. de Marignac’s ytterbia the new earth in terbia, and Boisbaudran found a new obtained from hydrofluoric year Per Teodor Cleve split into a pure one and a new later, in 1886, Boisbaudran earth in erbia. acid and between 1812 and Marignac’s erbia into erbia element that matched 1871 obtained a pure sample from 1886 many researchers tried proper and two new elements, Mendeleev’s predicted eka- samarskite. to obtain this element. It was thulium and holmium. boron. eventually isolated by Henri Moissan.

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KRYPTON SATURN MODEL NEON Hantaro Nagaoka suggests the ‘Saturn’ model of the atom ARGON XENON with a central nucleus having a John William Strutt (Lord On 30 May 1898, William ring of many electrons. Rayleigh) and William Ramsay and Morris William RADON Ramsey discovered the gas EUROPIUM Travers separated a third by comparing the molecular noble gas from liquid argon Freidrich Ernst Dorn PLUM PUDDING MODEL weights of nitrogen prepared Eugene Demarçay found by difference in boiling point discovered a radioactive gas by liquefaction from air and spectral lines of a new element (krypton), another (neon) in resulting from the radioactive J. J. Thomson suggests ‘Plum nitrogen prepared by chemical in Lecoq’s samarium, and June, and on 12 July xenon. decay of radium, isolated later Pudding Model’ in which a means. It was the first noble separated this element several All separated by differences in by William Ramsay and Robert large positive mass is studded gas to be isolated. years later, in 1901. boiling points. Whytlaw-Gray. with negative particles.

1894 1896 1897 1898 1899 1904

POLONIUM ACTINIUM ELECTRON ELECTRON RADIUM CONFIGURATION John Joseph (J. J.) Thomson In an experiment done on 13 July Andre Louis Debierne Joseph John (J. J.) Thomson discovers the electron. 1898, Marie and Pierre Curie noted obtained from pitchblende suggested that electron an increased radioactivity in the a substance that had similar configuration was the basis for uranium obtained from pitchblende, properties to thorium. the periodicity of the elements. which they assigned to an unknown element. Polonium was isolated by Willy Marckwald in 1902. The Curies reported on 26 December 1898 a new element different from polonium, which Marie later isolated from uraninite (radium).

GOLD FOIL EXPERIMENT PROACTINIUM

In the ‘Gold Foil Experiment’, Otto H. Goehring and Kasimir NEUTRONS LUTETIUM Ernest Rutherford bombards Fajans obtained the first ORBITS thin gold foil with α–particles isotope of this element James Chadwick bombarded Georges Urbain and Carl and discovers that the that had been predicted Niels Bohr suggests that beryllium with alpha particles; Auer von Welsbach proved atoms must consist of a tiny, by Mendeleev in 1871 as a electrons travel in concentric this knocked neutrons out independently that the old positively charged nucleus in member of the natural decay ring called orbits. Each orbit of beryllium, which knocked ytterbium also contained a which almost all of the mass is of 238U.Originally isolated in has a characteristic energy, so protons out of paraffin wax, new element. concentrated. 1900 by William Crookes. is also an energy level. proving the existence.

1906 1908 1909 1911 1913 1917 1932 1937

RHENIUM HAFNIUM ATOMIC NUMBER PROTONS TECHNITIUM Masataka Ogawa found it Georges Urbain claimed Henry (H. G.) Moseley using Ernest Rutherford proves Carlo Perrier and Emilio Segrè in thorianite but assigned it to have found the element X-ray spectroscopy shows that that the hydrogen nucleus discovered a new element in a element 43 instead of 75 and in rare-earth residues, the periodic table should be is present in other nuclei; molybdenum that was used in named it nipponium. In 1922 while Vladimir I. Vernadsky arranged in order of the atomic when α–particles were passed a cyclotron, the first synthetic Walter Noddack, Ida Eva Tacke independently found it in numbers of the elements. This through nitrogen, hydrogen element to be discovered. and Otto Berg announced its orthite. Neither claim was was based on previous ideas of nuclei were produced. This It had been predicted by separation from gadolinite and confirmed due to World War I. Antonius van den Broek. showed that hydrogen nuclei Mendeleev in 1871 as eka- gave it the present name. After it, Dirk Coster and Georg were fundamental particles, manganese. von Hevesy found it by X-ray now called protons. spectroscopic analysis in Norwegian zircon (1922). It is the last stable element to be discovered.

INVESTIGATING SCIENCE © GILL EDUCATION Unit 6.4 Timeline of the Elements FERMIUM Formed in the first thermonuclear explosion in November 1952 by irradiation of uranium with neutrons, and FRANCIUM NEPTUNIUM kept secret for several years. Discovered by Al Ghiorso et al. Margeurite Perey discovered Discovered by Edwin McMillan; it as a decay product of 227Ac. Philip H. Abelson obtained Francium is the last element it by irradiating uranium to be discovered in nature, with neutrons. It is the first AMERICIUM EINSTEINIUM rather than synthesised in transuranium element the lab, although some of the discovered. Discoveries of Prepared by irradiating BERKELIUM Formed in the first ‘synthetic’ elements that were the element 93 were falsely plutonium with neutrons thermonuclear explosion in discovered later (plutonium, reported on at least three during the Manhattan Project Created by bombardment of November 1952 by irradiation neptunium, astatine) were occasions, as bohemium, by Glenn T. Seaborg, Leon O. americium with alpha particles of uranium with neutrons, and eventually found in trace ausonium in 1934 and then Morgan, Ralph A. James and by S. G. Thompson, A. Ghiorso, kept secret for several years. amounts in nature as well. sequanium in 1939. Albert Ghiorso. G. T. Seaborg. Discovered by Al Ghiorso et al.

1939 1940 1941 1944 1945 1949 1950 1952 1955

ASTATINE PLUTONIUM PROMETHIUM CALIFORNIUM MENDELEVIUM Dale R. Corson, Kenneth Ross Prepared by bombardment It was probably first Created by bombardment of Prepared by bombardment MacKenzie and Emilio Segrè of uranium with deuterons by prepared in 1942 by curium with alpha particles by of einsteinium with helium by obtained it by bombarding Glenn T. Seaborg, Edwin M. bombarding neodymium and S. G. Thompson, K. Street, Jr., A. Ghiorso, B. G. Harvey, G. R. bismuth with alpha particles. McMillan, J. W. Kennedy and praseodymium with neutrons, A. Ghiorso, G. T. Seaborg. Choppin, S. G. Thompson, G. T. Later determined to occur A. C. Wahl. Enrico Fermi called but separation of the element Seaborg. naturally in minuscule the element hesperium (from could not be carried out (C. S. quantities (<25 grams in an impure sample) in 1934. Wu, E. G. Segrè, H. A. Bethe). earth’s crust). Isolation was performed under the Manhattan Project in 1945.

DARMSTADTIUM Bombardment of lead with nickel by S. Hofmann et al. at GSI in Darmstadt. SEABORGIUM NOBELIUM RUTHERFORDIUM Prepared by collisions of MEITNERIUM First prepared by californium-249 with oxygen ROENTGENIUM bombardment of curium with Prepared by bombardment of atoms by A. Ghiorso, J. Obtained by bombardment of carbon atoms by A. Ghiorso, californium with carbon atoms Nitschke, J. Alonso, C. Alonso, bismuth with iron atoms by G. Bombardment of bismuth with T. Sikkeland, J. R. Walton, G. T. by A. Ghiorso, M. Nurmia, J. M. Nurmia, G. Seaborg, K. Münzenberg, P. Armbruster et nickel by S. Hofmann et al. at Seaborg. Harris, K. Eskola, P. Eskola. Hulet, R. Lougheed. al. at GSI in Darmstadt. GSI in Darmstadt.

1958 1961 1968 1970 1974 1981 1982 1984 1994 1996

LAWERENCIUM DUBNIUM BOHRIUM HASSIUM COPERNICUM First prepared by Prepared by bombardment of Obtained by bombarding Obtained by bombardment Bombardment of lead with bombardment of californium californium with carbon atoms bismuth with chromium by of lead with iron atoms by G. zinc by S. Hofmann et al. at GSI with boron atoms by A. by A. Ghiorso, M. Nurmia, K. G. Münzenberg et al. at GSI in Münzenberg, P. Armbruster et in Darmstadt. Ghiorso, T. Sikkeland, A. E. Eskola, J. Harris, P. Eskola. Darmstadt. al. at GSI in Darmstadt. Larsh, R. M. Latimer.

UNUNTRIUM UNUNQUADIUM UNUNOCTIUM Decay of ununpentium by Bombardment of californium Joint Institute for Nuclear Bombardment of plutonium with calcium by Joint Institute Research in Dubna and with calcium by Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna Lawrence Livermore National for Nuclear Research in Dubna. and Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. National Laboratory.

1999 2000 2002 2003 2010

UNUNHEXIUM UNUNPENTIUM UNUNSEPTIUM

Bombardment of curium with Bombardment of americium Bombardment of berkelium calcium by Joint Institute for with calcium by Joint Institute with calcium by Joint Institute Nuclear Research in Dubna. for Nuclear Research in Dubna for Nuclear Research in Dubna and Lawrence Livermore and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. National Laboratory.