See every element. Understand the metals that built our world.
A fresh merged knowledge lab containing all 118 elements, metal images, physical properties, everyday and industrial uses, discovery stories, name origins and practical physics calculators.
Start with the big picture
Elements were discovered or synthesised—not “invented” like a machine. Ancient metals often have no single known discoverer, so this lab separates first known use, discovery and modern isolation.
What is a metal?
A material whose atoms usually share mobile electrons, giving characteristic conductivity, lustre, ductility and metallic bonding. Exceptions and allotropes matter.
धातु क्या है?
ऐसा तत्व जिसमें सामान्यतः चमक, ताप/बिजली चलाने की क्षमता, आकार बदलने की क्षमता और metallic bonding मिलती है। हर धातु में ये गुण समान मात्रा में नहीं होते।
How to read the table
Atomic number = protons. Period = electron-shell row. Group = similar valence-pattern column. Atomic mass is the standard relative atomic weight where available.
Use responsibly
Density, melting point and conductivity vary with purity, temperature, processing and alloy composition. Confirm engineering designs against a certified material standard.
Complete periodic table
Click any of the 118 elements for properties, an image, discovery information and a source link.
Detailed metals directory
Search, filter and sort metals. Click a row for images, uses, name origin and discovery/first-use notes.
| Image | Family | Thermal W/m·K | Primary uses | Details |
|---|
Physics concepts & calculators
Understand what each property means and test simple formulas. SI units are shown alongside practical units.
Calculation lab
Density / घनत्व
Mass per unit volume.
Heat conduction
Ideal steady heat flow through a flat section.
Electrical resistance
Resistance of a uniform wire.
Thermal expansion
Approximate linear expansion over a temperature range.
Metal comparison lab
Select up to four metals and compare physical values on the same scale.
Discovery, naming & first use
A metal may have been used thousands of years before scientists understood it as an element.
Native metals
Gold, copper and meteoritic iron could be found in metallic form. Their first individual discoverers are unknown.
Smelting & alloys
Copper smelting and bronze transformed tools, trade and cities; ironworking later reshaped agriculture and warfare.
Lavoisier’s list
Antoine Lavoisier grouped known simple substances, an important step toward modern chemical classification.
Electrochemical isolation
Humphry Davy isolated several reactive metals, including potassium, sodium, calcium, strontium, barium and magnesium.
Mendeleev’s system
Dmitri Mendeleev published a periodic arrangement and left gaps that correctly predicted several undiscovered elements.
Atomic number
Henry Moseley showed that atomic number—not atomic mass—is the correct ordering principle.
Synthetic elements
Reactors and particle accelerators produced elements not found in useful natural quantities; discovery credit often belongs to teams.
Seventh period completed
IUPAC approved the names nihonium, moscovium, tennessine and oganesson for elements 113, 115, 117 and 118.
Why names differ from symbols
Some symbols preserve Latin or older names: Fe from ferrum, Cu from cuprum, Ag from argentum, Sn from stannum, Sb from stibium, W from wolfram, Au from aurum, Hg from hydrargyrum, Pb from plumbum and K from kalium.
Sources, units & data notes
Transparent references help distinguish measured values, historical summaries and educational explanations.
Primary reference links
- IUPAC Periodic Table of Elements — official element names, symbols and standard atomic weights.
- Royal Society of Chemistry interactive periodic table — uses, properties, discovery and name origin.
- RSC: development of the periodic table — historical timeline.
- Periodic-Table-JSON — CC BY-SA structured dataset used for the local element catalogue; each record retains its original source/image attribution.
How values are displayed
Density
Generally g/cm³ for solids/liquids and dataset reference conditions. Gas values and uncertain superheavy-element values require special care.
Temperature
Source melting/boiling values are Kelvin and are converted to °C by subtracting 273.15. Sublimation/decomposition can make a single “point” misleading.
Thermal conductivity
Representative room-temperature values for selected common metals. Alloying, purity, work-hardening and temperature can substantially change them.
Images
Images load from source URLs with attribution in the selected element profile. If unavailable, the element symbol remains visible as a fallback.