Our interactive periodic table shows you all 118 chemical elements clearly sorted by atomic number, group, and period. Whether for school, university, or the lab – here you will find all the important information about each element at a glance.
The periodic table is the most important tool in chemistry: it does not arrange elements arbitrarily, but according to their electron configuration and chemical properties. Elements in the same group (column) behave similarly – for example, all alkali metals (Group 1) are highly reactive, while noble gases (Group 18) are extremely inert.
Simply click on any element to open detailed information: atomic number, atomic mass, electron configuration, melting and boiling point, discovery, occurrence, and use. Use the filter buttons to filter specifically by element categories (e.g., transition metals only), periods (rows), or groups (columns).
The horizontal rows are called periods (1–7) – they indicate how many electron shells an atom has. The vertical columns are called groups (1–18) – elements in the same group have the same number of outer electrons (valence electrons), which shapes their chemical properties. The atomic number indicates how many protons are in the atomic nucleus – and it determines the position in the periodic table.
The elements can be classified into different categories: alkali metals (Group 1), alkaline earth metals (Group 2), transition metals (Groups 3–12), lanthanides and actinides (shown separately), metalloids, nonmetals, and noble gases. Each category has typical properties – use our filter buttons to target and display only a specific category.
The periodic table was developed in 1869 by the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev. He arranged the 63 elements known at the time by their atomic mass and noticed that their properties recurred periodically. Mendeleev even predicted the existence of elements that had not yet been discovered – and was later proven right. Today we know 118 elements, of which elements 1–94 occur naturally, while the heavier elements (95 and above) are artificially created in the laboratory.