In 1866, John Newlands, an English scientist, arranged the then known elements in the order of __________. It is known as 'Newlands' Law of Octaves'.

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  1. decreasing atomic masses 
  2. increasing atomic number
  3. increasing atomic masses
  4. decreasing atomic number

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Option 3 : increasing atomic masses
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The correct answer is increasing atomic masses

Key Points

  • In 1866, John Newlands, an English scientist, arranged the then known elements in the order of increasing atomic masses.
  • This arrangement is known as Newlands' Law of Octaves.
  • According to this law, every eighth element had properties similar to that of the first, much like the octaves in music.
  • Newlands' Law of Octaves was one of the earliest attempts to classify elements based on their properties and atomic masses.
  • This law was applicable only up to calcium, as beyond calcium, the properties of elements did not match the pattern.

Additional Information

  • John Newlands' classification was an important step towards the development of the modern periodic table.
  • Later, Dmitri Mendeleev and others improved upon Newlands' ideas, leading to the periodic table we use today.
  • The periodic table is now based on the increasing atomic number, not atomic mass.
  • Newlands' work demonstrated the periodicity of elements' properties, which is a fundamental concept in chemistry.
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