Summary Of The Disappearing Spoon

The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean, examines each of the elements on the periodic table. The Disappearing Spoon focuses on the history of the periodic table by recounting stories about each element on the table, and the scientist that discovered it. For each element, Kean provides an extensive backstory about its origin, the common (or uncommon) uses of the element, and other interesting tidbits. The author begins the novel with a general physical description of the periodic table as a whole; he discusses the names of the groups of elements and their corresponding properties, atoms and their three major sub-particles, the activity of electrons, and the organization of the table. Next, Sam Keane shares specific details about both drama involved
He begins with the famous scientist, Robert Bunsen, focusing on the varied discoveries of Bunsen, rather than just highlighting his most famous innovation, the Bunsen burner. One of Bunsen’s earliest discoveries was an antidote for arsenic poisoning: iron oxide hydrate. When iron oxide comes in contact with arsenic in the bloodstream, rust clamps onto the arsenic and “drags” it out of the body. Although this discovery was a great achievement, perhaps Bunsen’s most important scientific contribution was his invention of the spectroscope which enhances the study of elements using colored light. Each element emits different amounts of colored light when electrons fall from the excited to the ground state. Bunsen’s invention allowed other scientists to identify new elements by measuring their colored light emissions. For example, the spectroscope allowed the famous Dimitri Mendeleev, to configure one of the very first periodic tables. Mendeleev created a chart that listed the names, symbols and mass numbers of the existing elements of the time. However, because many elements were yet to be discovered, his periodic table was filled with gaps where elements of the fitting mass belonged. For years after Mendeleev’s publication of his periodic table, chemists struggled to find the elements needed to fill the many gaps. The remainder of chapters 4-9 mostly discusses the discoveries of the various missing