Mendeleev's Predictive Power

Mendeleev’s predictive power refers to his ability to organize elements in the periodic table based on their properties, and then accurately forecast the existence and characteristics of elements not yet discovered. By recognizing patterns and gaps in his table, he predicted elements like gallium and germanium, describing their expected behaviors. When these elements were later discovered, they matched his predictions closely, confirming the table's underlying logic. This demonstrated that the periodic table isn’t just a classification system but a powerful tool for understanding the elements and uncovering new ones through informed scientific prediction.