Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev changed the world of science in the late 1800’s. Mendeleev was the youngest of all the children in his family. They lived in a Russian province in Tobolsk, Siberia. His father, Ivan, was the director of a gym and his mother came from a family that made glass and paper. Mendeleev’s father died while he was still young, and Marya had to work. She was forced to work in a glass making company, however shortly after, the building burnt down. Dmitri was educated at his father’s gym in Tobolsk, showing an interest in the physics and mathematics aspect. As well, he was taught many lessons on glass and glass blowing from having the family factory. His brother-in-law taught Mendeleev about current science ideas. When Dmitri was 14 years old, his mother had noticed his true abilities in science and wanted to help him get the education he needed. All that changed when the family factory burnt down, because shortly later, Dmitri's mother and sister had died from tuberculosis. Dmitri then moved on to study at the University of St. Petersberg in Russia when he won an award to study in Western Europe. He graduated in 1856 and became …show more content…
He was interested in the elements, which leading up to his life were classified by only one property, having been originally thought of by John Dalton in 1805, that each element has a unique atomic weight. Mendeleev wrote the elements out on cards, similar to playing cards. Atoms had their atomic weights and were put in columns in order of atomic weight. He was uncertain what to do with hydrogen(the lightest element) and left it out. It took Mendeleev hours on end to complete this great invention. He tried putting them in countless arrangements, until he fell asleep on his desk trying to figure it out. However, while he was asleep, his subconscious mind kept working on this great problem and when he awoke the answer was right in front of