CHAPTER III. 

 THE TABLE OF THE LAW. 



This periodicity of the atoms of the elements and the 

 fact that they exist in accordance with a definite scheme 

 is very beautifully shown in the table devised by Men- 

 deleeff, from which additional hints may be obtained. For 

 purposes of study we shall first consider the first part of 

 the Table of the Law as originally formed by Mendeleeff 

 (Fig. 4). 



Fig. 4. 



Leaving out hydrogen for the present as having no part 

 in the scheme, and beginning with lithium, you will observe 

 that if we arrange the succeeding elements in the order of 

 their atomic weights up to fluorine, that the next or eighth 

 element, sodium (Na), has properties similar to lithium. 

 If, then, we place sodium in the same vertical column with 

 lithium and then arrange the next elements in the order of 

 their atomic weights, we observe that magnesium falls in 

 (26) 



