Cover art for The Periodic Table
Published
Dorling Kindersley, September 2025
ISBN
9780241686508
Format
Hardcover, 288 pages
Dimensions
26.1cm × 22cm × 2.8cm

The Periodic Table From Alchemy to the Nuclear Age

5+ IN STOCK
Ships Monday 15th!
Fast $7.95 flat-rate shipping!
Only pay $7.95 per order within Australia, including end-to-end parcel tracking.
100% encrypted and secure
We adhere to industry best practice and never store credit card details.
Talk to real people
Contact us seven days a week – our staff are here to help.

All 118 chemical elements that make up the universe - pictured, analysed, and explained

This is the periodic table as you've never seen it before. By presenting the elements in the order in which they were discovered, The Periodic Table also tells the story of chemistry.

Now iconic, the table was invented in the 1800s, long before anyone knew what was inside an atom. As more elements were found, the table got bigger. Some were discovered at risk to life and limb - for example, the hunt for the explosive element fluorine injured or even killed several scientists, who came to be known as the fluorine martyrs. Even now, the table is still growing as scientists push the boundaries and add to the 118 elements discovered so far. Some of the newest elements have been observed only as they briefly flicker into existence in the extreme conditions inside particle colliders and accelerators.

Gorgeous photographs show even the most familiar elements in a new light. Bold, clear infographics and artworks reveal aspects of their atomic structure that explain why they behave the way they do. For example, why is gold so malleable and diamond so incredibly hard? How can bismuth levitate, and why does cobalt make paint such a vivid blue?

If you want to unlock the secrets of matter itself, open The Periodic Table.

Related books