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FRATERNITY FOCUS
The Antropoff Periodic Table found at UC Berkeley
Submitted by Jim Marshall, Beta Eta 1971, and Jenny Marshall, Beta Eta 2003
This was the most popular Periodic Table in
Germany for several years. It descriptively com-
bines the features of a short Periodic Table--
where, for example, Ti and Ge are related, both
with a valence of +4, to C and Si-and a long
Periodic Table-where Ge is more closely relat-
ed to C and Si, while Ti is a transition metal.
Antropoff includes "masurium," element 43
(putatively discovered by Walter and Ida
Noddack), and "casseopeium" (discovered by
Welsbach who claimed as priority over Urbain's
lutetium, resulting in a bitter nationalistic
struggle). The rare earths are correctly separat-
ed out and not interrelated as in other attempts
at the Periodic Table by other chemists. Element
number zero (neutronium) is positioned at the
very top; both its theoretical and chemical sig-
nificance was not clear.
The elements 90-92 (thorium, protactinium,
and uranium) were not yet separated out in a
separate row, even though Bohr had proposed
their behavior was analogous to the lan-
thanides (the "actinides"had to await the era of
Seaborg) but instead were considered part of
the main Periodic Table. Element 86 was not yet
called"radium"but instead "Emanation,"a term
initiated by Ernest Rutherford."X"is the symbol
for xenon; "J"is the symbol for Jod (iodine). The
noble gases appear at both ends because the
table actually portrays an unwrapped spiral.
Antropoff presents his table in his classic
paper, "Eine neue Form des periodischen
Systems der Elementen," ("A New Form of the
Periodic System of the Elements"), Zcitschrift
fiir angewandte Chemic, 1926, 39, 722-725,
where he explains the rationale for this design.
Both the short and long forms have drawbacks,
he argues. The original tables of Mendeleev and
Meyer had short periods. By a short period, one
means the classical Sargent-Welch design,
where the transition metals were not placed in
a center block of the Periodic Table, but instead,
are stacked in a tight loop beneath the main
series. In this Periodic Table, "totally dissimilar"
elements may fall in the same group. In con-
trast, the "long" form of Werner-which is the
usual form now used in students' chemistry
books and in wall charts-presents the transi-
tion metals in their own center block. This is the
other extreme, where elements which have
minor similarities are remote and their relation-
ship is ignored.
The Antropoff design, however, is a beautiful
blend of these two extremes. This table shows
both major similarities ("Hauptverwandt-
schaften") and secondary similarities
j a i i iii jiiii .\iIIi iii
("Nebenverwandtschaften") by a clever inter-
play of columns and connecting ribbons.
Hence, lithium and sodium stand directly over
potassium, rubidium and cesium, while the dis-
tant ("entfernte") similarities with copper, sil-
ver, and gold are indicated by a colored (litmus
blue) band.
To put all this in terse English, Antropoff's
Periodic Table was a compromise between the
original short scheme of Meyer and Mendeleev
(which overemphasized relationships) and the
modern Werner long scheme (which ignores
secondary relationships), and with an attractive
color scheme differentiates between these main
and secondary relationships.
Antropoff finishes up his classic paper with
"Der Anklang, den die neue Form gelegentlich
einiger Vortrige, besonders bei der studieren-
den Jugend gefunden hat, bestairkt mich auch
in der Uberzeugung, dass sie besonders in den
farbigen Ausf6hrungen durch ihre iber-
sichtlichkeit in Unterricht die besten Dienste
leisten wird."
I loosely translate: "This new form is appeal-
ing to young students when it has been occa-
sionally used in lectures, and has encouraged
me in the belief that the colored version will
make for even more clarity and better teaching."
NOTE 1: Details on the Periodic Table.
In the lower left-hand corner, it says:"Druck
von C.G. Naumann/C.m.b.H. Leipzig/Printed
in Germany, while in the lower right-hand cor-
ner, it says:"Copyright 1925 by /Verlag Koehler
& Yolchmar / A. G. & C. Leipzig." And at the
top: Prof. A. von Antropoff ("A" for Andreas).
NOTE 2: Other wall periodic tables
with"Masurium."
hilip Stewart in England, the well-known
ntor of the"Galaxy"Periodic Table, has cre-
ted a modern rendition of the Antropoff
)'riodic Table. He used "Tc" and "Lu," not the
ncient"Ma" and"Cp."Another example of the
Dntropoff Periodic Table resides on a wall at the
niversity of Barcelona (see http://www.meta-
lmuthesis.com/webbook/35_t/pt_database.php?PT
id=26).
The University of Barcelona did include
Ma" and "Cp." I mentioned this to Philip
Stewart and suggested that obviously he had
cen the colored Periodic Table. Interestingly, he
,aid: "I never saw a coloured version of
\ntropoff's table. I took the colour scheme in
1nv reconstruction from his description of it in
the article with which he first presented it in
Zeitschrift fiir angewandte Chemie, vol. 39, pp.
722-725. He suggests a mnemonic scheme of
colours (my translation): "Hydrogen-sea-
blue-ultramarine; the alkali metals and halo-
gens-the deepest alkaline and acid colours of
the litmus reaction-blue and red; carbon
group-black; Boron group-green from the
spectrum of boron and thallium; nitrogen
group-reddish brown to orange, from the
colour of nitrogen peroxide, antimony sulfide,
pervanadate; oxygen group-yellow, from sulfur
and Chrome yellow; magnesium group-violet,
from magnesium and mercury, our sources of
ultraviolet light; noble gases and iron-platinum
group metals-colourless or silver-grey."
There is another short version (not the
Antropoff design) from Brazil, in Portuguese,
with elements Ma, Vi, Al, II (masurium, virgini-
um, alabamine, illinium). It obviously is an orig-
inal; it has a different color scheme and its
design is the classic short form. See
http://www.m eta-stnthesis.com/webbook/35__pt/pt
_database.php?Button=1900-1949+Fonmulations
Undoubtedly there are a few other archival
wall Periodic Tables scattered throughout the
world. The Berkeley Periodic Table may be
unique in being the only publicly displayed
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THE HEXAGON/FALL 2013
