Element story

Reading the periodic table

Atomic structure is part of the shared Mendeleev scientific core. This page is intentionally conservative until more native-language terminology is verified.

Start with the nucleus

Atomic structure is part of the shared Mendeleev scientific core. This page is intentionally conservative until more native-language terminology is verified.

Atomic structure is part of the shared Mendeleev scientific core. This page is intentionally conservative until more native-language terminology is verified.

Carbon-12 has 6 protons and 6 neutrons; changing the proton count would create a different element.

The periodic table is not just a list: recurring electronic structure creates trends in atomic size, ionization energy and other properties. Trends are patterns, not magic rules, and exceptions are scientifically interesting.

The periodic table is not just a list: recurring electronic structure creates trends in atomic size, ionization energy and other properties. Trends are patterns, not magic rules, and exceptions are scientifically interesting.

Keep exploring

Atomic Structure · Periodic Trends

Sources

EN · institutional/academic · IUPAC · NIST · BIPM