element starting from a given element resembles in its properties to that of the starting element. Elements with similar chemical properties are to

Newlands was the first to assign atomic numbers to the elements. Unfortunately his work was neither accepted by his seniors nor by the Journal of the Chemical Society, which rejected its publication.

In Newlands’ table of elements, if we start with hydrogen and move down to oxygen and then start at the top the eighth element from hydrogen is fluorine and next eighth element is chlorine and so on. The properties of hydrogen, fluorine and chlorine are similar

Similarly, if you start at lithium, then eighth element is sodium and next coming eighth is potassium and so on. These elements show similar physical and chemical properties.

Newlands’ table is not without problems.

• There are instances of two elements fitted into the same slot, e.g. cobalt and nickel.

• Certain elements, totally dissimilar in their properties, were fitted into the same group.