Triads, Triads, Everywhere
Triads, Triads, Everywhere
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Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner (1780-1849), a professor of chemistry at the University of Jena, was the first to recognize that several groups of three elements, such as lithium, sodium, and potassium, or chlorine, bromine, and iodine, had similar chemical properties. In addition, he noticed that the atomic weight of the middle element in these triads was roughly the average of those of the other two. These observations led to his Law of Triads (1829), which firmly established his reputation as a pioneer in the development of the modern periodic table some 40 years before Mendeleev’s masterpiece was published.
However, the stamp illustrated in this note, issued in East Germany (DDR) on 26 February 1980 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Döbereiner’s birth (which was actually on 13 December 1780), does not mention his seminal contribution to the organization of the elements but features instead his “other” claim to fame. The stamp shows a schematic drawing of his renowned lighter, in which a stream of hydrogen gas, generated from zinc and sulfuric acid, spontaneously ignites upon contact with finely divided platinum. This novel chemical reaction received a lot of attention since it was first described by Döbereiner in the summer of 1823 and was swiftly reproduced by others. Within months the discovery was reported in multiple European scientific journals, which ushered in an era of interest in catalysis that continues to this day.
For a recent discussion of triads in the periodic table, see: Scerri, E. J. Chem. Educ. 2008, 85, 585-589.
Written by Daniel Rabinovich <drabinov@uncc.edu>.
Page last modified 5 June 2008.
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Artikel in diesem Heft
- Masthead
- Contents
- Adding a Stone to the IUPAC Edifice
- Spain Celebrates Its Year of Science Honoring Mendeleev
- Where Does IUPAC Stand with Regard to this Discipline?
- Triads, Triads, Everywhere
- Chemistry in the Information and Communications Technology Age
- Analytical Terminology and the Orange Book–The Resources at the End of the Rainbow
- Peter Mahaffy Awarded 3M Canada Teaching Fellowship
- Pieter S. Steyn Receives Science for Society Gold Medal
- Chemical Heritage Foundation Produces Distillations, a Weekly Podcast
- Mechanistic Aspects of Chemical Vapor Generation of Volatile Hydrides for Trace Element Determination
- Assessment of Theoretical Methods for the Study of Reactions Involving Global Warming Gas Species Degradation and Byproduct Formation
- Analysis of the Usage of Nanoscience and Technology in Chemistry
- Extension of ThermoML–The IUPAC Standard for Thermodynamic Data Communications
- Provisional Recommendations
- Further Conventions for NMR Shielding and Chemical Shifts (IUPAC Recommendations 2008)
- Transport of Pesticides via Macropores (IUPAC Technical Report)
- Performance Evaluation Criteria for Preparation and Measurement of Macro- and Microfabricated Ion-Selective Electrodes (IUPAC Technical Report)
- Chemists and “The Public”: IUPAC’s Role in Achieving Mutual Understanding (IUPAC Technical Report)
- DE STERS!
- Glossary of Terms Related to Solubility (IUPAC Recommendations 2008)
- Structure-Based Nomenclature for Cyclic Organic Macromolecules (IUPAC Recommendations 2008)
- Impact of Scientific Developments on the Chemical Weapons Convention (IUPAC Technical Report)
- Graphical Representation Standards for Chemical Structure Diagrams (IUPAC Recommendations 2008)
- The Periodic Table: Database or XML?
- The Investigation of Organic Reactions and their Mechanisms
- Modern Physical Chemistry for Advanced Materials
- Physical Organic Chemistry in Latin America
- Infrared Spectroscopy Applied to Biological and Biomimetic Systems
- Malta III–Research and Education in the Middle East
- The Future of Science Is through Its Students
- Physical Organic Chemistry
- Safe Food
- Macro- and Supra-Molecular Architectures and Materials
- Challenges in Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry
- Nano-Bio & Clean Tech
- Chemistry Industry and Environment
- Mark Your Calendar
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Masthead
- Contents
- Adding a Stone to the IUPAC Edifice
- Spain Celebrates Its Year of Science Honoring Mendeleev
- Where Does IUPAC Stand with Regard to this Discipline?
- Triads, Triads, Everywhere
- Chemistry in the Information and Communications Technology Age
- Analytical Terminology and the Orange Book–The Resources at the End of the Rainbow
- Peter Mahaffy Awarded 3M Canada Teaching Fellowship
- Pieter S. Steyn Receives Science for Society Gold Medal
- Chemical Heritage Foundation Produces Distillations, a Weekly Podcast
- Mechanistic Aspects of Chemical Vapor Generation of Volatile Hydrides for Trace Element Determination
- Assessment of Theoretical Methods for the Study of Reactions Involving Global Warming Gas Species Degradation and Byproduct Formation
- Analysis of the Usage of Nanoscience and Technology in Chemistry
- Extension of ThermoML–The IUPAC Standard for Thermodynamic Data Communications
- Provisional Recommendations
- Further Conventions for NMR Shielding and Chemical Shifts (IUPAC Recommendations 2008)
- Transport of Pesticides via Macropores (IUPAC Technical Report)
- Performance Evaluation Criteria for Preparation and Measurement of Macro- and Microfabricated Ion-Selective Electrodes (IUPAC Technical Report)
- Chemists and “The Public”: IUPAC’s Role in Achieving Mutual Understanding (IUPAC Technical Report)
- DE STERS!
- Glossary of Terms Related to Solubility (IUPAC Recommendations 2008)
- Structure-Based Nomenclature for Cyclic Organic Macromolecules (IUPAC Recommendations 2008)
- Impact of Scientific Developments on the Chemical Weapons Convention (IUPAC Technical Report)
- Graphical Representation Standards for Chemical Structure Diagrams (IUPAC Recommendations 2008)
- The Periodic Table: Database or XML?
- The Investigation of Organic Reactions and their Mechanisms
- Modern Physical Chemistry for Advanced Materials
- Physical Organic Chemistry in Latin America
- Infrared Spectroscopy Applied to Biological and Biomimetic Systems
- Malta III–Research and Education in the Middle East
- The Future of Science Is through Its Students
- Physical Organic Chemistry
- Safe Food
- Macro- and Supra-Molecular Architectures and Materials
- Challenges in Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry
- Nano-Bio & Clean Tech
- Chemistry Industry and Environment
- Mark Your Calendar
