Question

ch. 2 - particles of matter quiz
started: sep 10 at 2:14pm
quiz instructions
this quiz covers chapter 2 material. good luck!

question 3

perhaps the greatest triumph of mendeleevs periodic table was

the ability to predict electron configurations of elements

the use of rows and columns to organize the elements

the prediction of the existence of undiscovered elements

the use of atomic numbers as an organizing criterion

Explanation:

To determine the correct answer, we analyze each option:

• "the ability to predict electron configurations of elements": Mendeleev's table was developed before electron configurations were understood, so this is incorrect.
• "the use of rows and columns to organize the elements": While organizing by rows/columns is part of the table, it's not its greatest triumph.
• "the prediction of the existence of undiscovered elements": Mendeleev left gaps in his table for elements not yet discovered and accurately predicted their properties (e.g., gallium, germanium), which was a major success.
• "the use of atomic numbers as an organizing criterion": Mendeleev organized by atomic mass; Moseley later organized by atomic number, so this is incorrect.

Answer:

the prediction of the existence of undiscovered elements