Abstract
Basic questions on the periodic system (PS) of chemical elements are still under discussion. Several common misconceptions will be resolved. The word “chemical element” comprises more than two concepts. The PS can be rationalized on a quantum chemical basis, namely with the aid of four concepts: (1) electron configurations of bonded atoms, (2) realistic sequences of orbital energies, (3) spatial extension of valence and Rydberg orbitals, and (4) energy gaps above the closed 1s2 and np6 shells (n = 2–6). The PS of known elements cannot be naively extrapolated. The common discussion of the PS in textbooks of general, inorganic, and physical chemistry needs revision. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2010
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