The periodic table of elements has long become an integral attribute of school chemistry classrooms. Neither schoolchildren nor scientists can do without it. It was invented by Dmitry Mendeleev in 1869.
early years
Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleev was born on February 8, 1834 in Tobolsk. His father worked in education. In a large family, Dmitry was the last child. In childhood, he was not much different from his peers: he studied middle school in the gymnasium, loved to play pranks and fight.
When he was 13 years old, his father passed away. All care for the large family fell on the shoulders of the mother. She came from a family of Siberian merchants Korniliev. Her brother asked her to take over the management of a small glass factory. Having no special education, but smart and energy, Mendeleev's mother quickly figured out the affairs of the plant.
Dmitry often visited the glass factory. It was there that his interest in industry and nature awakened. Later he will write several scientific papers on the topic of glass making and the chemistry of silicates.
Noticing Dmitry's abilities, his mother decided to move from her native Siberia to Moscow, and then to St. Petersburg. In 1885 he successfully graduated from the natural faculty of the Pedagogical University.
Scientific activity
At the age of 23, Mendeleev began to lecture to students. He devoted three decades to teaching. At the same time, Mendeleev did not forget about scientific work. He was closely engaged in the study of gases, solutions and minerals. Soon Mendeleev wrote the work "Fundamentals of Chemistry".
Even then, most of all he was worried about the connection between the properties of elements and the masses of their atoms. By that time, 63 substances had been discovered, but they were not systematized either. Mendeleev compiled a table where all the elements were arranged in order of increasing atomic weight. At the same time, in the horizontal row, their properties changed gradually, and with the beginning of a new line, they were repeated with minor changes. Composing this system, the scientist corrected the atomic masses of some elements, which was later confirmed experimentally.
Mendeleev left enough empty cells in the table - for the elements not yet opened. He described some of them in detail. Five elements were discovered during the life of the scientist. Now there are 117 of them, and each takes its place in the table. In honor of the scientist, the 101st chemical element is named - Mendelevium. The periodic table became a matter of his entire scientific life.
Among other scientific discoveries of Mendeleev:
- pycnometer - a device for measuring the density of a liquid;
- pyrocollodium - smokeless powder;
- drawing of an icebreaker for expeditions to the Arctic;
- a method of transporting oil through a pipeline.
Personal life
Mendeleev was very passionate about science, but at the same time the family occupied a special place in his life. The first marriage of a scientist was unsuccessful. Despite having two children, a divorce followed. The second marriage turned out to be happy. Unlike the first wife, the second understood her husband's passion for science. In this marriage, Mendeleev had four children.
