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The history of the periodic table is like a detective story that spans many centuries. Although most of the elements on Earth have been around for billions of years, scientists have had to do some sleuthing to find each element’s unique identity. The ancient Greeks knew nine elements, including gold, sulfur, copper, and carbon. These elements, which are found in almost pure form as minerals, are called native element s. In 1669, Hennig Brand was the first scientist to actively search for and isolate an element. It was phosphorus. After that, many other scientists looked for other elements. In fact, seventy-four other elements were discovered between 1737 (cobalt) and 1925 (rhenium). The contributions of history’s “elemental” detectives have helped build the modern periodic table—a chemist’s best friend. 

Each element has a story to tell. You and a partner have been assigned an element from the periodic table to research. Click here to get the instructions for this project.