Which scientist is most commonly credited with inventing the periodic table?

• A. Marie Curie
• B. Antoine Lavoisier
• C. John Dalton
• D. Dmitri Mendeleev

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the question is about the historical development of the periodic table, a fundamental tool in chemistry that organizes elements based on their properties.
2. Recall that Marie Curie is known for her work on radioactivity, Antoine Lavoisier is credited with naming oxygen and hydrogen and establishing the law of conservation of mass, and John Dalton is famous for his atomic theory.
3. Identify Dmitri Mendeleev as the scientist who is most commonly credited with inventing the periodic table because he arranged elements by increasing atomic mass and predicted the existence of undiscovered elements.
4. Recognize that Mendeleev's periodic table was the first to show periodic trends and allowed for the prediction of properties of elements yet to be discovered.
5. Conclude that the correct answer to the question is Dmitri Mendeleev, based on his pioneering work in organizing the elements into the periodic table.