Are There Any Undiscovered Elements

Are There Elements Nosotros Don't Know Well-nigh?

There are elements we haven't observed occurring (naturally or in a lab), just we can predict the location and properties of "undiscovered" elements.

The reason elements are piece of cake to predict is that they are all bundled by atomic number (number of protons in the nucleus) on the periodic tabular array. Each new element simply has 1 more proton than the last and each added proton makes the element increasingly unstable. Information technology is very unlikely that we will observe "new elements" that we haven't theoretically predicted.^[1] ^[ii]

All observed elements upward to this betoken have fit this pattern, and then there is no reason to suspect that when nosotros do finally observe something like "element 119" it won't fall in neatly right where we wait to on the periodic table.

Hank Green discusses the periodic tabular array, quality piece of work as always.

Are in that location undiscovered elements? Discover isn't the right give-and-take to use when talking about "finding new elements", "observe evidence of" is probably the best manner to say it. When we "find" unstable elements we aren't viewing them directly, we are seeing evidence of them by measuring decay. Unstable elements lose protons and decay into stable elements very chop-chop (in a fraction of a millisecond).

The periodic table

The periodic table is built on the math of chemistry.

How Can We Predict the Existence of Elements?

The periodic tabular array organizes elements by increasing atomic number. The math based approach to organizing elements by diminutive number corresponds direct with the fashion the physical universe works. Hydrogen has one proton in its nucleus and has an diminutive number of one, we add one proton and we get Helium with an atomic number of 2, add one more than proton to that and nosotros get Lithium with an atomic number of 3, etc. In other words, the atomic number is the "proton number", the number of protons found in the nucleus of an atom.^[5]

This video helps explain the difference between atomic number and atomic mass.

FACT: As of December 31st, 2015 researchers confirmed the existence of 113, 115, 117, and 118. All of these had been predicted by diminutive number, given this inkling and the periodic table we were able to figure out everything about them before scientists confirmed observing prove of their existence.^[3] ^[6]

FACT: 118 is the highest atomic number nosotros accept observed, beyond this is the "extended periodic tabular array" which sort of keeps going although some calculations put the limit at 173 – 184.^[iv]

This video shows us "the extended periodic table" and explains how it goes beyond Z=118.

Mendeleev's Periodic Table Versus the Periodic Table

Mendeleev's periodic tabular array had holes in it because he was trying to organize the periodic table by diminutive weight (measuring atomic mass rather than the number of protons, due to the lack of technology at the time).

FACT: There are no "holes" in the periodic table, simply placeholders for elements we haven't confirmed yet.

There are no elements that we don't know about, only there are atoms that we have yet to prove the being of.