There's Antimony, Arsenic, Aluminum, Selenium...
July 12, 2015 8:39 PM   Subscribe

The Dynamic Periodic Table... probably the only periodic table most of you will ever need, or want, to consult (aside from Tom Lehrer's musical version). What makes this periodic table different? Take it for a spin and find out!
posted by not_on_display (13 comments total) 25 users marked this as a favorite
 


I'm a fan of the circular or spiral periodic tables. (Here's another one.) They match the lie-to-children image of neat round electrons orbiting a nucleus, so it's easier to associate the electron shells with their elements, and it's clear where the lanthanides and actinides fit in. (And frankly I just like the shape better.)
posted by Rangi at 9:00 PM on July 12, 2015 [2 favorites]


I memorized the damn periodic table to the tune of the alphabet song and I'm too old to change it now.

Scientists! No more of your fancy elements. The only thing that matters is the matter that matters now.
posted by the uncomplicated soups of my childhood at 9:30 PM on July 12, 2015


If your prefer your elements fictional, Marian Call did a version of Tom Leher's classic with elements like vibranium, mithril, and unobtanium.
posted by mrgoldenbrown at 9:33 PM on July 12, 2015 [3 favorites]


All the blue and orange orbitals pictures are taken (with permission) from my brothers Grand Table.
You can also make your own with Orbital Viewer.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 9:44 PM on July 12, 2015 [3 favorites]




Theodore Gray (one of the co-founders of Wolfram Research) put together a beautiful poster of The Elements, which was later expanded into a book with the style of an art collection -- just interesting and well done! -- and then an iPad app that I enjoy exploring in my spare time. It's just done so thoughtfully, it's a pleasure to experience. The less beautiful web page can be found here.

I expected to come here to say, "Ha! Here's a better one!" but Michael Dayah's Dynamic Periodic Table is really wonderful, and I got lost in it for a while before coming back to comment.
posted by brambleboy at 10:20 PM on July 12, 2015 [1 favorite]




I liked this table. It was very responsive, and gave a lot of useful information in a compact form. Thanks, not_on_display, for posting it.
posted by YAMWAK at 12:21 AM on July 13, 2015


Look Around You's exploration of Chemistry (here Calcium) is an uncannily accurate match with my own mid-80s recollection. The periodic table hung as a large poster on the wall and was pointed at with a stick as part of deeply unclear (and quite possibly inaccurate) explanations - that we were then extolled to write down in our copy books. I love how the world has moved on so decisively.
posted by rongorongo at 12:30 AM on July 13, 2015


Don't forget WTF.
posted by Splunge at 4:44 AM on July 13, 2015


Too blinky! I kept clicking around trying to get it just to show me the symbols and the names and could not do that. I think what I'd like it a "Periodic table of reactions" where you could pick elements and then click a "fight" button and you would get some semblance of what a reaction between those elements would be like.
posted by jessamyn at 10:59 AM on July 13, 2015


"Periodic table of reactions" where you could pick elements and then click a "fight" button and you would get some semblance of what a reaction between those elements would be like.

The "Compounds" tab approximates that via providing a searchable database leading to an exhaustive list of compounds, with wikipedia links for a goodly amount of the results so you can kiiiinda imagine it; it will also highlight the elements involved in the fight.

However: I, too, would like the option to click a "FIGHT!" button and watch the reaction. Bonus points for it looking like a video game. For now, we'll just have to do with Dr. Awesomehair from Nottingham U and his band of mischievous post-docs.
posted by not_on_display at 3:17 PM on July 13, 2015


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