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Titanium position in the periodic table of elements
The periodic table of elements is a system of organizing all the chemical elements according to their atomic structure. It was first discovered by the Russian chemist Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev (1834 – 1907) and that’s why sometimes it is still called Mendeleev’s table.
Scientists had already identified more than 60 chemical elements by Mendeleev time, as opposed to more that 110 that are recorded today. The subatomic components such as electrons, protons and neutrons were yet to be discovered, but scientists were able to measure the atomic weight of each element, the atom being considered the simplest component of the matter.
Mendeleev arranged the elements in the periodic table of elements by trying to coordinate the similar properties of the elements with the atomic masses. A quote of his:
“I began to look about and write down the elements with their atomic weights and typical properties, analogous elements and like atomic weights on separate cards, and this soon convinced me that the properties of elements are in periodic dependence upon their atomic weights.”
The structure he chose was of horizontal rows containing elements with increasing atomic weights, while trying to group elements with similar properties on the vertical columns.
The pattern that emerged from this structure could only be achieved by leaving some places blank in some rows. This happened because at that time, the required elements were yet to be discovered. Mendeleev predicted that the discovery will happen in the future and even described some of the properties that each element would most likely display. The scientific research soon confirmed its prediction, the Mendeleev periodical table of elements soon gained universal recognition among established scientists.
Mendeleev periodical table of elements is composed, as of July 2009, by 117 elements, arranged in 7 horizontal rows, commonly called periods, and 18 vertical columns, called groups. There are a lot of details and an ongoing debate among chemists concerning the accuracy of the table, with possible alternate structures being proposed and discussed, but I will only describe what is most interesting for us, that is, the titanium element.
Titanium element is positioned in period 4, group 4 of the periodical table of elements, having an atomic number (atomic weight of 22). It is the occupies the first position in the block of transition metals, which is a common name for all the elements contained by the groups 4 to 12, with each element representing the successive addition of electrons to the "d" atomic orbital of the atoms, but without completely filling this shell.
There are a number of properties which are shared by the transition metals that are not usually found in other elements, resulting from the partially filled "d" atomic layer. These include, but are not limited to : the formation of colored compounds, which is most visible in
titanium jewelry
made by anodizing, the formation of compounds in many oxidation states, which explains the formation of
titanium dioxide
and
titanium tetrachloride
and weak paramagnetic properties.
That’s about all that can be said about the titanium presence in the periodic table of elements. I know it’s not nearly enough to accurately describe the numerous and wondrous properties of the titanium element, but it’s a good place to start in the long journey of exploring the glamour metal.
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