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A wonderfully weird collection of alternative Periodic Table of the Elements charts (plus a couple of normal ones too).

Periodic Table of Elements

The periodic table, also known as the periodic table of the (chemical) elements, is normally rendered as a rows and columns arrangement of the chemical elements. It is a graphic formulation of the periodic law, which states that the properties of the chemical elements exhibit an approximate periodic dependence on their atomic numbers.

The periodic table is divided into four roughly rectangular areas called blocks. The rows of the table are called periods, and the columns are called groups. Elements from the same group of the periodic table show similar chemical characteristics. Trends run through the periodic table, with nonmetallic character (keeping their own electrons) increasing from left to right across a period, and from down to up across a group, and metallic character (surrendering electrons to other atoms) increasing in the opposite direction. The underlying reason for these trends is electron configurations of atoms.

Or so we thought. Not all periodic tables are created alike. Here’s a variety of (downloadable) periodic tables in case you periodically need one.  Remember, the keys to the mysteries of the universe all lie within the tables below so study them carefully!

Harrison Spiral Periodic Table

A spiral Periodic Table of Elements which represents elements in a two-dimensional spiral starting from hydrogen as the center and moving outwards as atomic number increases.

Harrison Spiral Periodic Table

The Ring of Periodic Elements (TROPE) Periodic Table of Elements

The Ring Of Periodic Elements (TROPE) was designed by a Toronto artist Alexander Braun.

The Ring Of Periodic Elements (TROPE)

Circular form of Periodic Table of Elements

The circular form of the periodic table was designed by Mohammed Abubakr from Hyderabad, India.

Circular form of the periodic table

Alternative circular model Periodic Table of Elements

This “alternative” Periodic Table of Elements looks half finished.

Alternative circular model

James Franklin Hyde Periodic Table of Elements variant

This is a variation of the standard periodic table, as of 1975, by James Franklin Hyde. An organosilicon chemist, Hyde gave carbon and silicon center stage.

Variation of standard periodic table by James Franklin Hyde
A variation of the standard periodic table, as of 1975, by James Franklin Hyde. An organosilicon chemist, Hyde gave carbon and silicon center stage.

John Dalton’s Periodic Table of Elements

John Dalton created this “list of atomic weights and symbols” in 1808. It has the 20 elements known at that time (ahem, and a few he made up).

Daltons Element List

Discoid Periodic Table of Elements

This Periodic Table of Elements represents the orbital periodicity of the elements.

Discoid Periodic Table represents the orbital periodicity of the elements.
The Discoid Periodic Table represents the orbital periodicity of the elements.

Element Spiral (polyatomic) Periodic Table of Elements

The credit for its creation generally goes to Dimitri Mendeleev, a Russian chemist who in 1869 wrote out the known elements (of which there were 63 at the time) on cards and then arranged them in columns and rows according to their chemical and physical properties.

Element spiral (polyatomic)

Politically correct Periodic Table of Elements

This Periodic Table of Elements, created by the United Nations, shows which elements are under threat from climate change or overuse.

Periodic Table ultimate PDF

Chinese Periodic Table of Elements

Not all periodic tables are in English. Here’s a simplified Chinese version of the Periodic Table of Elements.

Chinese periodic table of elements
Simplified Chinese periodic table, showing the name of the 118 elements in the Mainline China Mandarin standard with pronunciations given in pinyin.

Indian Periodic Table of Elements

Here is a version of the Periodic Table of Elements from India.

Periodic Table by Mehedi Hasan

Russian Periodic Table of Elements

The Russians have a very detailed Periodic Table of Elements chart.

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The Periodic Table of Elements, in pictures!

Here’s a Periodic Table with pictures.

The Periodic Table of the Elements in pictures

Another Periodic Table of Elements with pictures

Here’s another Periodic Table of Elements with pictures. This one has funny pictures that are related to the element depicted.

Periodic Table of Elements with funny related pictures

A very, very long Periodic Table of Elements – aka the Telluric Helix or Telluric Screw Periodic table

The French geologist, Alexandre-Émile Béguyer de Chancourtois was the first person to make use of atomic weights to produce a classification of periodicity. He drew the elements as a continuous spiral around a metal cylinder divided into 16 parts. The atomic weight of oxygen was taken as 16 and was used as the standard against which all the other elements were compared. Tellurium was situated at the center, prompting vis tellurique, or telluric screw.

chancourtois 1862 whole a

UVS Klein bottle Periodic Table of Elements

According to its inventor, “The UVS periodic table model of a Klein bottle topology, is a modeling of elements that comprehensively and coherently shows with intricate details on the spiral groupings of 120 chemical elements at 18 angular phases in 8 integral periodic cycles. In essence, this topology outlined a nested dual-core hypersphere structure.” We’ll just take his word for it.

UVS periodic table Klein bottle topology

UVS Klein bottle Periodic Table of Elements – Mobius Strip version

Here’s another UVS Periodic Table of Elements with a Mobius strip topology.

uvs periodic table dual core

Simplified Periodic Table of Elements

Here’s a simplified Periodic Table of Elements for people who hate science.

Simple Periodic Table Chart

Normal, detailed Periodic Table of Elements

And finally, the “normal” Periodic Table of Elements that we are all so familiar with – at least until a new element is discovered and then we start all over again.

Periodic Table of Elements

Image Credits

In-Article Image Credits

Periodic Table of Elements with funny related pictures via The Foundation for Education, Science, and Technology
UVS_Periodic_table_dual_core via UVS
The Periodic Table of the Elements in pictures via Wikimedia Commons by Keith Enevoldsen with usage type - Creative Commons License. 2016
Periodic Table by Mehedi Hasan via Wikimedia Commons by Mohammad Mehedi Hasan with usage type - Creative Commons License. June 18, 2017
Periodic Table of Elements via Wikimedia Commons by Eunice Laurent with usage type - Creative Commons License. September 23, 2021
Chinese periodic table of elements via Wikimedia Commons with usage type - Creative Commons License. June 1, 2019
Harrison Spiral Periodic Table via Wikimedia Commons with usage type - GNU Free
The Ring Of Periodic Elements (TROPE) via Wikimedia Commons by Alexander Braun with usage type - GNU Free. August 5, 2009
Circular form of the periodic table via Wikimedia Commons by Mohammed Abubakr with usage type - GNU Free. December 31, 2006
Alternative circular model via Wikimedia Commons by Marco Piazzalunga with usage type - Creative Commons License. March 19, 2013
Variation of standard periodic table by James Franklin Hyde via Wikimedia Commons by James Franklin Hyde with usage type - Creative Commons License. December 17, 2016
Discoid Periodic Table represents the orbital periodicity of the elements. via Wikimedia Commons by Dayyan Ahmed Qureshi with usage type - Creative Commons License. September 26, 2021
Simple Periodic Table Chart via Wikimedia Commons with usage type - Creative Commons License. January 23, 2021
Element spiral (polyatomic) via Wikimedia Commons with usage type - Creative Commons License. August 18, 2013

Featured Image Credit

Periodic Table of Elements via Wikimedia Commons by Eunice Laurent with usage type - Creative Commons License. September 23, 2021

 

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