Though Dimitri Mendeleev, the Russian chemist is considered the father of the periodic table, which he first published in 1869, there were other scientists during and before his time who had made significant contributions that enabled Mendeleev to arrange the elements in his historic periodic table. One such scientist was John Alexander Reina Newlands (1837-1898). Newlands was an English chemist who arranged the 62 elements known then in a table based on the increasing order of their atomic weights. While arranging them, he discovered that in his arrangement schematic, every eighth element displayed similar characteristics. He proposed, for the first time ever, the existence of periodicity as a chemical property of the different elements. Based on his discovery regarding every eighth element displaying similar properties, he wrote a paper wherein he proposed the Law of Octaves, in 1863. The Law of Octaves stated that an element exhibits behavior that is similar to the eighth element preceding/succeeding it.
However, Johnson's table ran into certain problems, for which it was not finally accepted. While the periodicity was apparent, his grouping of elements appeared flawed. For instance, in his table iron, a metal, existed in the same group as oxygen and sulphur, two non metals. These kinds of discrepancies caused his table not to be accepted. However, his work, along with others from his time and before him, paved the way for Mendeleev to hit on the right table.
However, Johnson's table ran into certain problems, for which it was not finally accepted. While the periodicity was apparent, his grouping of elements appeared flawed. For instance, in his table iron, a metal, existed in the same group as oxygen and sulphur, two non metals. These kinds of discrepancies caused his table not to be accepted. However, his work, along with others from his time and before him, paved the way for Mendeleev to hit on the right table.
