How are atomic numbers continuous in Periodic Table?

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How come there are no gaps in the table? If there are 118 elements currently, and the next element to be discovered/created has an atomic number of 120, would there just be a gap at 119th position?

How come we managed to find/create every element without any gaps in the periodic table?

In: 104

13 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Imagine a set of jars with a different combination of blue (protons) red (nuetrons) and yellow (electrons) balls

Put them in order on a line

You could have chosen total number, num of red num of blue num of yellow or any combination in between.

The number of blue is what was chosen.

Aa such if i have 4 blue 5 blue 7 blue, then the 6 blue is missing.

The perodic table also arranges elements in groups that behave similarly for our current understanding of chemistry and physics. It is just what made sense at the time and continues to make sense.

New chemistry or physics, quamtum physics could come along and give us a new layout,and that layout is missing elements as well that are defined by the new definition.

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