⚛️ Periodic Table Explorer

The periodic table is a tabular arrangement of all known chemical elements, organized by atomic number, electron configuration, and recurring chemical properties. It was first published by Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869. The modern table contains 118 confirmed elements arranged in 7 periods (rows) and 18 groups (columns), with elements in the same group sharing similar chemical behaviors.

Colors represent element categories: red for alkali metals, orange for alkaline earth metals, yellow for transition metals, light blue for post-transition metals, green for metalloids, teal for nonmetals, cyan for halogens, purple for noble gases, pink for lanthanides, and deep pink for actinides. Use the category buttons above to filter and highlight specific groups.

Clicking any element opens a detail panel with an interactive 3D Bohr-style atomic model. The central sphere represents the atomic nucleus (size proportional to atomic mass), while concentric orbital rings represent electron shells. Small spheres moving along these rings represent electrons distributed according to the element's electron configuration. You can rotate, zoom, and pan the model using mouse or touch gestures.

Lanthanides (elements 57–71, from lanthanum to lutetium) and actinides (elements 89–103, from actinium to lawrencium) are two series of f-block elements placed below the main table. Lanthanides are often called "rare earth elements" and are crucial for electronics, magnets, and lasers. Actinides include radioactive elements like uranium and plutonium, with most being synthetic and highly radioactive.

Of the 118 confirmed elements, 94 occur naturally on Earth. Elements 1 (hydrogen) through 94 (plutonium) include all naturally occurring ones, though technetium (43) and promethium (61) exist only in trace amounts from radioactive decay. Elements beyond plutonium (95–118) are entirely synthetic, created in laboratories or nuclear reactors, and typically have very short half-lives.

New superheavy elements are created by smashing lighter nuclei together in particle accelerators. Once a discovery is confirmed by IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry), the discoverers propose a name and symbol, often honoring a scientist, place, or mythological concept. For example, oganesson (Og, element 118) is named after physicist Yuri Oganessian.

Elements with no stable isotopes (all radioactive) have their atomic mass shown in brackets, representing the mass number of the most stable known isotope. This applies to technetium, promethium, polonium, and all elements beyond bismuth (element 83). The actual atomic mass fluctuates as these isotopes decay into other elements.