Periodic Table of Elements To Get an Update

Lazarian writes "Scientists from around the world have put forth an update to the Periodic Table of Elements. In particular, they are changing the manner in which atomic weights of ten elements are expressed. From the article: 'For example, sulfur is commonly known to have a standard atomic weight of 32.065. However, its actual atomic weight can be anywhere between 32.059 and 32.076, depending on where the element is found.'"

Comments

dupe

[wizardforce]

one can imagine the challenge now to educators and students who will have to select a single value out of an interval when doing chemistry calculations," says Dr. Fabienne Meyers, associate director of IUPAC

not really, if it's a problem now, it was then too since these weights didn't magically change. Really, it doesn't terribly matter much as it is, the discrepancy is tiny and for most molecules, largely irrelevant. For any calculation that really reall matters, you won't be using the range on the table, you'd be measuring the isotope ratio in your sample and for times when it doesn't, well, that's self explanatory.

Re:Aluminium. Sulphur.

[magus_melchior]

One gripe I have about the IUPAC's insistence on -ium for aluminium is that they break that convention for elements like tantalum, platinum, molybdenum, and lanthanum. Y'know, if they really, REALLY wanted to be consistent, they'd rename those tantalium, platinium, molybdenium, and lanthanium.

Of course, I can't complain too hard, as the ACS used "aluminium" until they changed their minds...