Dmitri Mendeleev: Great Minds

Summary

The script celebrates Dmitri Mendeleev, the father of the periodic table, born in Siberia in 1834. Despite a near-death experience with tuberculosis, Mendeleev went on to revolutionize chemistry with his Periodic Law, which organized elements by atomic weight and predicted the existence of yet-undiscovered elements. His personal life was as dramatic as his scientific contributions, including a controversial marriage to his niece's friend after divorcing his first wife. Despite not winning a Nobel Prize due to a feud with a Swedish chemist, Mendeleev's legacy endures, with an element named mendelevium in his honor.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Dmitri Mendeleev is renowned for creating the original periodic table of elements, a significant contribution to the field of chemistry.
• 🐯 Born in Siberia in 1834, Mendeleev was the youngest of a large family and almost died from tuberculosis as a teenager.
• 🎓 His mother's support sent him to Saint Petersburg to study and become a scientist, where he later became a professor.
• 📚 Mendeleev's dissertation 'On the Combinations of Water and Alcohol' and his work on 'The Principles of Chemistry' led to his formulation of the Periodic Law.
• 🔬 The Periodic Law proposed that elements arranged by atomic weight and similar properties would exhibit periodicity, which Mendeleev illustrated in his early periodic table.
• 🔍 Mendeleev's periodic table had spaces for elements that he predicted would be discovered, with seven of his ten predictions eventually confirmed.
• 💡 His foresight in predicting the properties of undiscovered elements showcased his deep understanding and the accuracy of his periodic system.
• 💔 Despite his scientific achievements, Mendeleev's personal life was tumultuous, including a controversial marriage to his niece's best friend.
• 🏆 Tsar Alexander's support allowed Mendeleev to become the Director of the Bureau of Weights and Measures, influencing the standardization of vodka's alcohol content.
• 🛢️ Mendeleev was also instrumental in the study of petroleum and the establishment of Russia's first oil refinery.
• 🚫 He was nominated for a Nobel Prize for his work on the periodic system but was denied due to conflicts with Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius.
• 🏅 Mendeleev's legacy is honored with the naming of a synthetic, radioactive element after him: mendelevium.

Q & A

Who is Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev and what is he famous for?

Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev was a Russian chemist who is most famous for creating the original periodic table of elements.

What was Mendeleev's contribution to the field of chemistry?

Mendeleev's major contribution was the formulation of the Periodic Law and the creation of the first periodic table, which organized elements by atomic weight and similar properties.

What did Mendeleev predict about the elements that were missing in his initial periodic table?

Mendeleev predicted the existence and properties of elements that were missing in his initial periodic table, and he accurately theorized the properties of those elements.

How many elements did Mendeleev predict would be discovered, and how many were eventually found?

Mendeleev predicted ten elements in his first table, and seven of them were eventually discovered.

What was Mendeleev's personal life like, and how did it affect his public image?

Mendeleev's personal life included an obsession with his niece's best friend, leading him to divorce his first wife and marry her, which was considered bigamy by the Russian Orthodox Church. Despite this, he was supported by Tsar Alexander.

What role did Mendeleev play in the standardization of vodka in Russia?

Mendeleev was made the Director of the Bureau of Weights and Measures, where he established the official standards for the production of vodka, including the requirement that it must be exactly 40 percent alcohol.

How did Mendeleev's work with petroleum contribute to Russia's economy?

Mendeleev pioneered the study of petroleum and helped found Russia's first oil refinery, contributing to the development of one of Russia's major export industries.

Why was Mendeleev not awarded the Nobel Prize in 1906 despite his significant contributions to science?

Mendeleev was nominated for a Nobel Prize in 1906 for his Periodic Law, but he was denied the prize due to a conflict with influential Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius, who lobbied against him on the Nobel committee.

What posthumous honor did Mendeleev receive in recognition of his scientific achievements?

Mendeleev received the honor of having a chemical element named after him, which is mendelevium, a synthetic and highly radioactive element.

What was Mendeleev's educational background, and how did it influence his work on the periodic table?

Mendeleev was sent by his mother to Saint Petersburg to study and become a scientist. He later became a professor, and his work on 'The Principles of Chemistry' led to the formulation of the Periodic Law and the creation of the periodic table.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Dmitri Mendeleev and the Invention of the Periodic Table

This paragraph introduces Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev, the father of the periodic table, and his significant contribution to the field of chemistry. Born in Siberia in 1834, Mendeleev was a resilient individual who overcame tuberculosis as a teenager and went on to become a professor in Saint Petersburg. His dissertation on the combinations of water and alcohol laid the groundwork for his most influential idea, the Periodic Law, which he developed between 1868 and 1870. This law proposed that elements could be arranged by their atomic weight and similar properties, leading to the creation of the first periodic table. Mendeleev's work was groundbreaking, as it was done 25 years before the discovery of the electron, and he even predicted the existence and properties of elements that were yet to be discovered, with seven of the ten he predicted eventually being found.

Keywords

💡Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev

Dmitri Mendeleev was a Russian chemist and inventor who is best known for formulating the Periodic Law and creating the first widely recognized version of the periodic table of elements. In the video, he is portrayed as a key figure in the history of chemistry whose work laid the foundation for understanding the properties and relationships of chemical elements. His prediction of the properties and existence of elements before they were discovered is highlighted as a significant achievement.

💡Periodic Table

The periodic table is a tabular arrangement of chemical elements organized by atomic number, electron configurations, and recurring chemical properties. It is a fundamental tool in chemistry and is central to the video's theme, as it showcases Mendeleev's groundbreaking work. The video describes how Mendeleev's periodic table, despite being rudimentary compared to modern versions, was revolutionary in its organization of elements by atomic weight and properties.

💡Periodic Law

The Periodic Law is a fundamental principle in chemistry that states the properties of elements are periodic functions of their atomic number. Mendeleev's formulation of this law led to the creation of the periodic table. The video emphasizes the significance of this law in predicting the properties of elements and the arrangement of the periodic table, which was a major step forward in the systematic study of chemistry.

💡Atomic Weight

Atomic weight, also known as relative atomic mass, is the ratio of the average mass of atoms of an element to 1/12 of the mass of an atom of carbon-12. In the video, Mendeleev's use of atomic weight to arrange elements in the periodic table is discussed. His method of arranging elements by atomic weight and similar properties led to the discovery of patterns and the prediction of undiscovered elements.

💡Element Prediction

Mendeleev's ability to predict the properties and existence of elements before they were discovered is a key point in the video. He left gaps in his periodic table for elements he believed would be discovered, and his predictions were remarkably accurate. This foresight is a testament to the power of the periodic table as a tool for scientific discovery and Mendeleev's deep understanding of chemical properties.

💡Bigamy

Bigamy is the act of marrying one person while still being legally married to another. The video touches on Mendeleev's personal life, mentioning his controversial marriage to his niece's friend after divorcing his first wife, which was considered bigamy under Russian Orthodox Church law. This aspect of his life is used to add a human and complex dimension to the historical figure.

💡Tsar Alexander

Tsar Alexander is mentioned in the video as the Russian emperor who supported Mendeleev despite the controversy surrounding his personal life. The video uses the anecdote of Tsar Alexander's support to illustrate the high regard in which Mendeleev was held for his scientific contributions, even in the face of personal scandal.

💡Bureau of Weights and Measures

The Bureau of Weights and Measures is an organization responsible for the establishment of standards for weights and measures. In the video, Mendeleev's role as the Director of the Bureau of Weights and Measures is highlighted, particularly his influence on the standardization of vodka's alcohol content in Russia. This role connects his scientific expertise to practical applications in industry and commerce.

💡Petroleum

Petroleum, also known as crude oil, is a naturally occurring fossil fuel. Mendeleev's pioneering work in the study of petroleum and the establishment of Russia's first oil refinery is mentioned in the video. This aspect of his work shows his impact on Russia's industrial development and the broader field of chemistry.

💡Mendelevium

Mendelevium is a synthetic radioactive chemical element named in honor of Dmitri Mendeleev. The video concludes by mentioning that despite not receiving a Nobel Prize, Mendeleev was posthumously recognized with the naming of this element. This serves as a lasting tribute to his contributions to the field of chemistry.

💡Nobel Prize

The Nobel Prize is an international award acknowledged as one of the most prestigious in the fields of literature, peace, economics, medicine, physics, and chemistry. The video discusses Mendeleev's nomination for a Nobel Prize for his work on the Periodic Law but his ultimate denial due to a conflict with a Swedish chemist. This detail adds a layer of drama to his story and underscores the human elements of scientific recognition.

Highlights

Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev is credited with creating the original periodic table of elements.

Mendeleev was born in Siberia in 1834, the youngest of a large family.

He nearly died of tuberculosis as a teenager but survived and went on to become a scientist.

Mendeleev's mother sent him to Saint Petersburg to study and become a scientist.

His dissertation was on the combinations of water and alcohol, which later proved useful.

Mendeleev formulated the Periodic Law between 1868 and 1870 while writing 'The Principles of Chemistry'.

The Periodic Law suggests elements arranged by atomic weight and similar properties will appear periodically.

Mendeleev's first periodic table included about sixty elements and laid the foundation for the modern table.

He discovered the periodicity of elements 25 years before the discovery of the electron.

Mendeleev not only arranged elements by atomic weight but also predicted missing elements and their properties.

Seven of the ten elements Mendeleev predicted were eventually discovered.

Mendeleev's personal life included a controversial marriage to his niece's best friend.

Tsar Alexander defended Mendeleev's actions, leading to his appointment as Director of the Bureau of Weights and Measures.

Mendeleev was responsible for setting the standard alcohol content for Russian vodka at 40 percent.

He pioneered the study of petroleum and helped establish Russia's first oil refinery.

Mendeleev was nominated for a Nobel Prize in 1906 but was denied due to conflicts with a Swedish chemist.

He died of influenza in 1907, having made significant contributions to science, including the periodic table and petroleum industry.

In honor of his contributions, the synthetic and radioactive element mendelevium was named after Mendeleev.

Transcripts

When I was growing up as a young nerd, I had this above my bed on the ceiling,

so that i could gaze at it every single night, which is... REALLY nerdy.

We have that amazing piece of logical scientific arrangement because of this man.

And no, that is not Rasputin, but he was another kinda crazy brilliant Russian.

This is Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev, and he's responsible, more than anyone,

for coming up with the original periodic table of elements.

So he deserves more than 15 minutes of fame, but we're only gonna give him three

♪ SciShow theme ♪

♪ bloopy electronic music ♪

Mendeleev was born in Siberia, in 1834

as the youngest of between eleven and seventeen siblings.

No one is quite sure, this is just—this is a bad lot in life. And he almost died as a teenager of tuberculosis.

But lucky for us, he survived, and also lucky for us, his mom put all of her faith into this one child

and sent him to Saint Petersburg to study and become a scientist.

He went on to become a professor in Saint Petersburg,

his dissertation was called "On the Combinations of Water and Alcohol"

and I know that sounds really boring, but it's going to come in handy.

Between 1868 and 1870 was when Mendeleev was writing his seminal work, "The Principles of Chemistry"

and that's when he came up with his most influencial idea, the Periodic Law.

The theory was, that if you arranged elements by similar properties and by atomic weight,

they would appear periodically, in rows. This may sound familiar.

He illustrated this in the rudimentary, but revolutionary, periodic table of all known elements at the time,

there were about sixty, and it looked like this.

Not exactly what's hanging in your chemistry class, but if you flip it ninety degrees,

you can see the origins of the periodic table of the elements.

Just one of the amazing things about Mendeleev's discovery here is that

he discovered it 25 years before the discovery of the electron.

At the time, everyone in the world of science knew that the atom was the most basic particle.

So determining the weight of an element basically consisted of figuring out how heavy it was

compared with the lightest element, which was hydrogen. Still is hydrogen.

Only later would scientists figure out a more precise measure, the atomic weight,

which takes into account the protons, neutrons and the electrons in the atom.

But here's what I like most about Mendeleev, not only did he arrange electrons by their atomic weight,

anybody can do that, but he also spotted holes in the table and he theorized that those atoms,

those elements, would be discovered some day.

And he postulated, like, with enormous accuracy the properties of those elements.

Of the ten elements Mendeleev predicted in his first table, seven were eventually discovered.

This achievement quickly won Mendeleev some clout, including some clout in his personal life.

In the 1880s, Mendeleev became obsessed with his niece's best friend,

and he threatened to kill himself unless she married him.

The problem was, that he was already married.

So he divorced his first wife and married his niece's friend,

which according to the Russian Orthodox Church was bigamy.

When critics accused Mendeleev of this moral crime, Tsar Alexander reportedly said,

"Well, Mendeleev has two wives, but I only have one Mendeleev."

Yeah, so with the Tsar on his side, he was then made the Director of the Bureau of Weights and Measures,

where his job was to come up with the official standards for the production of vodka.

Thanks to him, all russian vodka to this day has to be exactly 40 percent alcohol.

He also pioneered the study of petroleum and helped found Russia's first oil refinery.

Probably the only exports Russia has now, that this guy didn't help with are caviar and hip-hop polka.

In 1906 Mendeleev was nominated for a Nobel prize for his Periodic Law,

but he had managed to piss off an influential Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius

by publicly criticizing some of Arrhenius' theories.

The Swede returned the favor by lobbying hard against him on the Nobel committee

and he was denied the prize.

Mendeleev died the following year of influenza,

having mastered the elements and petroleum and alcohol and even bigamy.

He didn't get the Nobel prize but in the end he did get an even more prestigious scientific honor

and that is having a chemical element named after him.

It's one of the new synthetic ones and yes, it's super radioactive. It's called mendelevium.

Thank you for watching, as always.

We also did an episode on the periodic table, if you wanna learn more about that.

And you can connect with us on Facebook and Twitter

or in the YouTube comments if you have questions or suggestions for us.

We'll see you next time.

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