Interactive Periodic Table
Click any element to explore atomic mass, electron configuration, discovery, and real-world uses. All 118 elements included.
About the Periodic Table
The periodic table is a tabular arrangement of all known chemical elements, organised by increasing atomic number (the number of protons in an atom's nucleus). First proposed by Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869, it is one of the most powerful and elegant diagrams in all of science — a single chart that predicts how every atom in the universe will behave.
Elements in the same column (group) share similar chemical properties because they have the same number of electrons in their outer shell. Elements in the same row (period) share the same highest occupied electron shell. This simple structure explains everything from why sodium explodes in water to why gold never tarnishes.
Our interactive table includes all 118 officially recognised elements — from hydrogen (H, #1), the most abundant element in the universe, through to oganesson (Og, #118), a synthetic superheavy element first produced in 2002. Each element is colour-coded by category and clickable to reveal its atomic mass, electron configuration, phase at room temperature, discovery story, and real-world uses.
How to Use the Interactive Periodic Table
Click any element
Tap or click a cell in the table to open a detail panel with atomic mass, electron configuration, discovery info, and key uses.
Search instantly
Type a name (Gold), symbol (Au), or atomic number (79) into the search box. Non-matching elements fade out so your target pops.
Filter by category
Use the dropdown to narrow the table to a single family — halogens, noble gases, lanthanides, and so on.
Read the legend
The coloured chips above the table show what each category looks like — useful when scanning groups or preparing for a chemistry exam.
Explore the f-block
Lanthanides (57–71) and actinides (89–103) sit in the two rows below the main grid, exactly as in a standard chemistry textbook.
Press Escape to close
Close the detail modal by clicking the X, tapping outside it, or pressing the Escape key on your keyboard.
Common Use Cases
Chemistry Homework
Look up atomic masses and electron configurations for balancing equations, calculating moles, and writing orbital diagrams.
Exam Revision
Quickly quiz yourself on symbols, groups, and periodic trends like electronegativity for GCSE, A-level, or AP chemistry tests.
Lab Work
Verify molar masses before weighing reagents, or check the phase of an element at room temperature before handling it.
Engineering & Materials
Pick alloys and dopants by browsing transition metals, metalloids, and post-transition metals side by side.
Teaching & Tutoring
Project the table onto a whiteboard and walk students through periodic trends by filtering a single group at a time.
Science Curiosity
Read the discovery story and everyday uses of every element — from ancient copper to synthetic superheavy oganesson.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about the periodic table
How many elements are on the periodic table?
There are 118 officially recognised elements, numbered 1 to 118. The first 94 occur naturally on Earth; elements 95 through 118 have only been synthesised in laboratories or observed in nuclear reactions.
What do the colours mean?
Colours group elements by chemical category — alkali metals, halogens, noble gases, transition metals, and so on. Elements sharing a colour tend to share bonding behaviour and reactivity patterns.
What is atomic number vs atomic mass?
Atomic number is the count of protons in the nucleus and defines what element it is. Atomic mass is the average weight of an atom, accounting for isotopes, usually measured in atomic mass units (u).
Why do lanthanides and actinides sit below the main table?
They belong to the f-block and would otherwise stretch the table to 32 columns wide. Placing them below keeps the layout compact while preserving the periodic law.
Who invented the periodic table?
Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev published the first widely-accepted version in 1869. He famously left gaps for undiscovered elements and predicted their properties — several of which were confirmed within decades.
What does electron configuration mean?
It describes how electrons are distributed among an atom's orbitals. For example, carbon's configuration "[He] 2s2 2p2" means it has the electron setup of helium plus two electrons in the 2s orbital and two in the 2p.
Which elements are radioactive?
All elements with atomic number 84 (polonium) and above are radioactive, along with a handful of lighter isotopes like technetium (43) and promethium (61). Uranium and plutonium are the best-known radioactive elements.
Is this tool free and private?
Yes. The entire periodic table runs in your browser — no sign-up, no tracking of what you search for. It works offline once the page has loaded and is completely free to use.