This question is about the historical progression of atomic models and the classification of elements in the periodic table.
A science museum is designing an interactive exhibit on the evolution of atomic theory. The first two displays compare John Dalton's early atomic model with the subsequent 'plum pudding' model proposed by J. J. Thomson.
Describe two fundamental differences between the structure of the atom in Dalton's model and the structure in the plum pudding model.
Niels Bohr revised Ernest Rutherford's nuclear model of the atom to resolve issues regarding its physical stability.
Describe the specific modifications that Bohr made to the nuclear model regarding how electrons are arranged.
In 1869, Dmitri Mendeleev compiled his periodic table by arranging elements primarily by atomic weight. He occasionally swapped the order of certain adjacent elements (such as tellurium and iodine).
A student hypothesizes that Mendeleev reversed the order of these elements because he was secretly arranging them by atomic number.
Explain why this student's hypothesis cannot be correct.
State the actual scientific reason why Mendeleev decided to reverse the order of some element pairs.