The art of the periodic table
The venerable chart of elements has inspired and entertained in its first 150 years. Hayley Bennett looks at some of its weird, wacky – and wise – incarnations
From 19th century triads, tables, charts and cylinders, the periodic table has been reworked and reimagined to emphasise everything from periodicity to aesthetics. Key developments include the discovery of atomic number and a quantum-mechanical understanding of electrons and orbitals. From the enormous chart of nuclides to silver works of art, Mendeleev’s table continues to evolve.