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Introduction
Dimensions of interrogatives that merit ordered distinction
Standard periodic table adapted as a metaphoric template for ordering WH-questions
Metaphoric reinterpretations of the chemical series of the standard periodic table
Metaphoric reinterpretation of natural condition and natural occurrence
References
The purpose in the following experiment is to determine whether there are any insights to be gained by ordering the standard set of 7-WH questions (or interrogatives) in the form of a periodic table -- using the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements as a metaphorical template. The justification for such an exploration is that the 7 interrogatives could be considered as fundamental to the organization and dynamics of knowledge space as are the chemical elements to physical and biological space. Whether this parallel is associated with fundamental isomorphism -- or merely illustrative and of mnemonic value -- is to be determined. In the first instance however, the issue is to discover whether suggestive insights emerge from using the order of the standard periodic table and its various features.
It is appropriate to note that an argument has been made in the past by Edward Haskell for a generalization of the order and application of the periodic table (cf ...) This has attracted little attention but was a factor in the development of the subject categorization of the Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential.
The following features could potentially be ordered in a new way:
In the table below, based entirely on a version of the periodic table of elements appearing in Wikipedia, the following adaptations have been made (in italics; hyperlinks go to relevant descriptions in Wikipedia entries, as in the original version):
Note that a major characteristic of the periodic table is that within any period, subperiods with additional elements emerge (eg the transition metals, lanthanides, actinides, etc as colour-coded) -- seemingly to break up the simple notion of a table. This means that there are other kinds of emergent periodicity which could be cause for valuable reflection in the case of any mapping of questions onto the template. This helpfully guards against premature closure.
Group → | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | |||||||||||||
When | Where | Which | How | What | Who | Why | Po | |||||||||||||
↓ Period | ||||||||||||||||||||
1 | 1 "Yes" H |
2 "No" He |
||||||||||||||||||
2 | 3 Li |
4 Be |
5 B |
6 C |
7 N |
8 O |
9 F |
10 Ne |
||||||||||||
3 | 11 Na |
12 Mg |
13 Al |
14 Si |
15 P |
16 S |
17 Cl |
18 Ar |
||||||||||||
4 | 19 K |
20 Ca |
21 Sc |
22 Ti |
23 V |
24 Cr |
25 Mn |
26 Fe |
27 Co |
28 Ni |
29 Cu |
30 Zn |
31 Ga |
32 Ge |
33 As |
34 Se |
35 Br |
36 Kr |
||
5 | 37 Rb |
38 Sr |
39 Y |
40 Zr |
41 Nb |
42 Mo |
43 Tc |
44 Ru |
45 Rh |
46 Pd |
47 Ag |
48 Cd |
49 In |
50 Sn |
51 Sb |
52 Te |
53 I |
54 Xe |
||
6 | 55 Cs |
56 Ba |
* |
72 Hf |
73 Ta |
74 W |
75 Re |
76 Os |
77 Ir |
78 Pt |
79 Au |
80 Hg |
81 Tl |
82 Pb |
83 Bi |
84 Po |
85 At |
86 Rn |
||
7 | 87 Fr |
88 Ra |
** |
104 Rf |
105 Db |
106 Sg |
107 Bh |
108 Hs |
109 Mt |
110 Ds |
111 Rg |
112 Uub |
113 Uut |
114 Uuq |
115 Uup |
116 Uuh |
117 Uus |
118 Uuo |
||
* Lanthanides | 57 La |
58 Ce |
59 Pr |
60 Nd |
61 Pm |
62 Sm |
63 Eu |
64 Gd |
65 Tb |
66 Dy |
67 Ho |
68 Er |
69 Tm |
70 Yb |
71 Lu |
|||||
** Actinides | 89 Ac |
90 Th |
91 Pa |
92 U |
93 Np |
94 Pu |
95 Am |
96 Cm |
97 Bk |
98 Cf |
99 Es |
100 Fm |
101 Md |
102 No |
103 Lr |
Noble gases | completed/independent, ending/beginning | Alkali metals | receptive/dependent, caustic |
Halogens | reactive, acidic | Alkaline earth metals | |
Nonmetals | life, biological | Transition metals | |
Metalloids | Lanthanides | ||
Poor metals | Actinides |
Natural condition (at standard temperature and pressure colour of numbers in above table) |
Natural occurrence (borders of cells in above table) |
||
red are gases | |||
green are liquids | dashed borders arise naturally from decay of other elements, and have no
isotopes with a half-life comparable to the
age of the Earth; however, some are found in trace amounts in radioactive
ores |
||
grey are solid | dotted borders are synthetic elements,
which do not occur naturally [californium (Cf, 98)
dand its decay products are observed through their electromagnetic
emissions in supernova spectra |
||
without borders have not been discovered or synthesised yet |
Undigested notes:
Quest-ions
Quest-I-ons
generic
electropositive/negative
valency / completing
periodic table /strategies
radioactive
isotopies
atomic weight
shells
traps
common molecueles: water, O2, co2, salt, gold
carbon: slippery, diamond, dirty
solid; liquid, gas, fire, plasma
paradox, dilemma
toxic
essential for life
hydrogen / helium binary -- quadrilemma
trace elements
elements of life
life "comfort zone"
shells -- link applets
shell game / hidden agenda
initiations
symbolism of elements
alternative presentations of periodic table
controversy
making: fire/fun
journey
provocations
goodness of fit
halflife
self-reflexive pattern lanaguage
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