Reflection on Chapter 3

     Kean's 3rd chapter is among one of my favorite. I enjoyed that he gave some historical background to the periodic table and showed the impacts that they had today. He clearly focused on the origin of the many elements listed on the periodic table and showed how their names were derived. I didn't know that lead's symbol is derieved from the Latin word Plumbum. I did not know about the city of Ytterby which has dominated the elements due to its abundance in the Lanthanide series. I didn't like that he did not talk much about the other scientists that also produced their own periodic tale independently. Kean's use of biographical context puts the reader into the shoes of some of the earliest chemists and scientists. He also focuses on the concept that although they were incredible talented people, they still made mistakes. Notably, Mendeleev didn't believe in atoms or the noble gases and Lavoisier believed that all acids contained oxygen. Sam Kean clearly emphasizes the important things that have since contributed to chemistry such as the periodic table and the bunsen burner (not invented by Robert Bunsen).