Unit 6.4 Timeline of the Elements 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. INVESTIGATING SCIENCE © GILL EDUCATION Unit 6.4 Timeline of the Elements 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. INVESTIGATING SCIENCE © GILL EDUCATION Unit 6.4 Timeline of the Elements 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. INVESTIGATING SCIENCE © GILL EDUCATION Unit 6.4 Timeline of the Elements 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.