How a game of cards changed chemistry

For many of us, the periodic table is a distant memory from the school chemistry lab. The more attentive among us may recall the position or atomic number of a few elements. But the periodic table is a minor miracle of information categorisation. And its origins include a surprising influence…

Applying a little patience

In 1869, Mendeleev was struggling to organise the 63 chemicals discovered to date in a coherent manner. At the time, his wife Feozva Nikitichna Leshcheva was a keen player of the card game we now know as ‘patience’ or ‘solitaire’. In this solo game, cards are arranged by suit horizontally and by number vertically.

Inspired by Leshceva, Mendeleev created a set of cards, one for each chemical element - noting the atomic weight and properties on each card. This approach allowed him to physically manipulate and compare the elements, seeking patterns and relationships among them.

Mendeleev devised a way of grouping his element cards, but when spread out on a table – much like playing cards – this left some spaces; there were missing cards. However, rather than ignore them, he left the gaps, predicting that elements would be discovered to fill them.

And he was right.

Gallium, Scandium, Germanium, and Rhenium were unknown at the time. Technetium (originally Eka-manganese) wasn’t synthesised until 1937 – 68 years after its existence was predicted.

Dmitry Mendeleev was not the first scientist to attempt to bring logical order to chemical elements. But his work was instrumental in the development of the periodic table we recognise today.

The star of his own show

Almost a century after his breakthrough, Mendeleev’s work was formally recognized after scientists at UC Berkeley successfully created 17 atoms of a previously undiscovered element that filled another empty spot in his periodic table: number 101. This was officially named ‘Mendelevium’ in 1963.

Design Thinking

Sometimes the most complex challenges require a bit of outside influence to bring clarity where there seems to be chaos. Perhaps we should all remember to look up from what we’re doing from time to time – or at least reach for the playing cards.

Landmarks is a Brussels-based creative agency with a focus on business communications. With over three decades of creative experience, we provide simple and effective solutions to complex challenges.

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