# Periodic Table
Status: public
Confidence: medium (0.865) (verified)
Last verified: 2026-05-28
Generation: ai_structured

## TL;DR
The periodic table organizes chemical elements by atomic number and recurring chemical behavior. It is both a practical reference for element names and symbols and a conceptual map of periodic trends.

## Core Explanation
The modern periodic table is ordered by atomic number, with columns grouping elements that often share related chemical behavior. Mendeleev's 1869 table was historically important because it organized known elements around recurring properties and left room for patterns to guide later discoveries. IUPAC maintains official element information and announced in 2016 that the addition of four elements completed the table's seventh row.

## Further Reading

- [IUPAC periodic table](https://iupac.org/what-we-do/periodic-table-of-elements/)
- [Britannica: periodic table](https://www.britannica.com/science/periodic-table)
- [IUPAC seventh-row announcement](https://iupac.org/four-new-elements-complete-seventh-row/)