Dmitri Mendeleev between 1880 and 1882 |
- Periodic Table Creator: Dmitri Mendeleev is best known for creating the Periodic Table of Elements in 1869.
- Predicted Elements: Mendeleev left gaps in his Periodic Table, predicting the discovery of new elements, such as gallium, scandium, and germanium.
- Education Journey: He studied at the Main Pedagogical Institute in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
- Large Family: He was the youngest of 17 children in his family.
- Science Lover: Mendeleev's passion for chemistry began early in his life, inspired by his mother.
- Beyond Chemistry: He made contributions to other fields, including physics, hydrodynamics, meteorology, and the oil industry.
- Insoluble Substances: Mendeleev investigated solutions and established the concept of "critical temperature" for gases.
- Tsarist Russia: He served as the Director of the Bureau of Weights and Measures under the Russian Tsar.
- Mendeleev's Vodka: He created a formula for the ideal strength of vodka, at 40% alcohol by volume.
- Periodic Law: His Periodic Law stated that the properties of elements are a periodic function of their atomic weights.
- Travel Ban: Mendeleev was once denied travel to Western Europe by the Russian government.
- Textbook Author: He wrote a comprehensive chemistry textbook called "Principles of Chemistry."
- First Wife: His first marriage was to Feozva Nikitichna Leshcheva in 1862.
- Second Wife: Mendeleev married Anna Ivanovna Popova in 1882, who was 26 years younger than him.
- Aerodynamics: He had a deep interest in aerodynamics and even made a solo flight in a hot air balloon to study a solar eclipse.
- Mineral Namesake: The mineral mendeleevite is named in his honor.
- Academic Rejection: Despite his contributions, he was never elected to the Russian Academy of Sciences.
- Periodic Table Design: His original Periodic Table had elements arranged by atomic weight, not atomic number.
- Scientific Recognition: He received the Copley Medal from the Royal Society in 1905.
- Legacy: Element 101, mendelevium, is named in his honor, reflecting his lasting impact on the field of chemistry.