Elemental

It is about time that we tackled the Periodic Table of the Elements on this blog, so that some basic misunderstandings may be corrected.

If you haven't studied Chemistry or Physics then this colourful chart may seem indistinct and mysterious, so let me explain some of the highlights, and you too can be an expert.

The Elements are sorted into groups that have similar properties, and I begin with the Useful Group. This contains some of the oldest Elements known to man such as Wood (Symbol W) and Steel (S) but it also includes rather more recent discoveries such as Bakelite (Ba) Glass (Ga) and Chipboard (C).

Next we come to the Flooring Group. Here you can find Carpet (Ca) Rubber (R) and Lino (Li). In fact pure Linoleum (to give it its full name) is colourless and lusterous material that is much prized. The multicoloured patterns you see in Lino are caused by tiny impurites.

Now we meet the Shiny Group, containing come of mankinds earliest metals. Both Bronze (Br) and Brass (B) merit their places in this group. Who can forget the Bronze Age and the much more recent Brass Age?

Be aware that not all Elements are shiny and some, for example Rust (Ru) and Paper (P) fall into the Dull Category.

Many Elements are dangerous and should be handled with care. The Transitional Elements cause unexpected changes and need to be approached with caution. These include Beer (Be), Lager (La) and Scotch (Sc)

The Restorative or Noble Group include Coffee (Cf) and obviously Tea (Te) but not Pepsi (P) as this too reactive for this category.

Finally, many Elements are colourless and odourless and perhaps invisible. These include Hot (Ho) Cold (Co) and Fear (Fe)

There. I hope this little insight into the world of Science is of use. You can find guides to Quantum Physics elewhere in this blog.