The periodic table of the elements is a crowning scientific achievement, but it's also a treasure trove of passion, adventure, obsession, and betrayal. These tales follow carbon, neon, silicon, gold, and all the elements in the table as they play out their parts in human history. The usual suspects are here, like Marie Curie (and her radioactive journey to the discovery of polonium and radium) and William Shockley (who is credited, not exactly justly,...

This 15-question practice set focuses on a key set of skills for any chemistry student: the ability to spot patterns on the periodic table and then use that information to deduce the properties of specific elements. Expect to find questions about atomic radius, electron affinity, metallic character, and more.