How the Periodic Table has changed since 1980

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Since 1980, several changes have been made to the periodic table of elements. Here are some of the notable changes:

Discovery of new elements: Several new elements have been discovered since 1980, including copernicium (Cn), nihonium (Nh), flerovium (Fl), moscovium (Mc), livermorium (Lv), tennessine (Ts), and oganesson (Og). These elements have been added to the periodic table, expanding it beyond the traditional 118 elements.

Changes in element names: The names of some elements have been changed since 1980. For example, element 104 was originally named "unnilquadium," but it was later renamed to "rutherfordium" in honour of Ernest Rutherford. Element 105 was originally named "hahnium," but it was later renamed to "dubnium" in honour of Dubna, Russia, where much of the research on transuranic elements has been conducted.

Changes in element symbols: The symbols for some elements have been changed since 1980. For example, element 104 was originally assigned the symbol "Unq," but it was later changed to "Rf" to reflect its new name.

New understandings of the properties and behaviours of elements: Advances in technology and research have led to new understandings of the properties and behaviours of elements. For example, scientists have gained a better understanding of the behaviour of elements in extreme conditions, such as high temperatures and pressures.

In 1980, the periodic table of elements consisted of 109 elements, from hydrogen (atomic number 1) to meitnerium (atomic number 109). This was prior to the discovery of several elements that have since been added to the periodic table, including elements 110 through 118, which were discovered in the years following 1980.

As of 2023, there are 118 known elements on the periodic table. However, it is possible that new elements may be discovered in the future through ongoing research and experimentation. If any new elements are discovered and confirmed, they will be added to the periodic table, which will increase the total number of elements listed.

Overall, the periodic table of elements continues to evolve as scientists make new discoveries and gain new insights into the behaviour of the elements. 

Source: Some or all of the content was generated using an AI language model