Abstract
‘The eightfold path: organizing the elements’ explains the history and rationale of the Periodic Table. Atomic theory was not fully accepted until Jean Perrin proved the existence of atoms in 1908. Rutherford et al went further, elucidating subatomic particles. This provided new insights into the Periodic Table, created decades earlier by Mendeleyev. Mendeleyev was not the first to attempt to group the elements. However, an improved set of atomic weights published in 1860 caused an upsurge in research. Mendeleyev's Table showed the order underlying the elements, left gaps for new elements, and questioned irreconcilable data. This data was eventually reconciled partly by Rutherford, and partly by Bohr's application of quantum theory.
