Chapter 1

Summary:
The Periodic Table is mostly in every science class, but there is a better approach to introduce this iconic science tool. First, the shape of the Periodic Table should be inspected like a castle wall because each element is appropriately placed for a purpose. Each element strengthens the significance of the whole Periodic Table; if one is proven not to belong where it is, science would be corrupted. By comparing the importance of the Periodic Table as a castle wall, comparing it to a map will make it easier to navigate through all the elements.
Plato, one of the greatest Greek philosopher, contributed to the meaning of noble gasses as an unchanging, perfect, and ideal substance. He believes that everything either originates form or pursues this perfect thing weather it is a tree, an animal, or a piece of rock. Unfortunately, scientist were unable to easily figure out the existence of these ideal elements because the uncertainty of a substance being a pure element made scientist struggle to identify them.
Two great scientist, although their hard times trying to be recognized, uncovered many discoveries which all had to do with noble gasses and their ideal image. Lewis is a scientist who was interested electrons and their interactions between atoms, so because of this, Lewis worked on investigating with acids and bases. Since every atom likes to be stable like the noble gasses, they will either share or steal an electron with another atom usually benefiting both atoms which usually results in a bond between them. This exchange of electrons was defined as a chemical reaction, and the most dramatic example is acids interactions.
Goeppert-Mayer was also interested in the noble gases and their stability. Although the electrons were the ones that made an atom stable, protons also have a purpose in the stability of an atom. Many scientists were agreed with electrons filling each energy level which are called shells, By filling each shell, the atom will not interact with other atoms to receive or give off an electron. Goeppert-Mayer though, believed that protons also had some form of shells, like the electrons, which needed to be filled up before decaying. She later named these shells as magic nuclei which for short, is the right number of protons and neutrons to produce a spherical shape.

Reflection:
There is a lot of information one can get by just looking at specific parts of the periodic table, and I am fascinated on how much more there is still to learn from the most well known tool. I can now see why this is one of the most fundamental contribution to the scientific field. Also, it surprises me who noble gasses, represented by Plato, are "perfect", the ideal atomic structure. I believed that perfection is only an illusion which everybody tries to pursue. The noble gasses shows just how limitless the world of science is; things may not be believed by others but in science, when something is proven to exist, it is for real.
The first thing I thought when thinking of a stable atom was its electrons because it is always fighting to fill their outer most shell. I never thought that nuclei also contributed to this stability. Instead of an atom being chemically reactive, an atom with an unstable nuclei will be unstable enough to literally break of into two different atoms, This magic nuclei is very interesting to learn about because just like the electrons, it is important to know how and which atom are stable. It will also be interesting to identifying elements which are stable in both their electrons and their nuclei.