Lothar Meyer’s Pathway to Periodicity

Abstract

Without dwelling on issues of priority regarding the discovery of the periodic system of the elements, this study offers a connected narrative regarding Lothar Meyer’s investigative pathway from the spring and summer of 1856 until the end of 1869, in his gradually deepening understanding of periodic relationships among the elements. Dmitrii Mendeleev’s route to periodicity has been the subject of extensive investigation and debate; by contrast, there is nothing in the literature that takes a similarly detailed look at Lothar Meyer’s personal pathway to the periodic system. This study strives toward a deeper understanding of the history of the discovery of the archetypical symbol of chemistry as a whole, the periodic table; it concludes by offering a wider object lesson.