The scientist whose work with decks of cards led to the discovery of a periodic table closest to its modern form is C. Mendeleev. Here's why:
1. Dmitri Mendeleev, a Russian chemist, is known for creating the first widely recognized periodic table of elements in 1869.
2. To organize the elements, Mendeleev wrote each element's name and atomic mass on separate cards. He then arranged these cards in order of increasing atomic mass and noticed a pattern in the properties of the elements.
3. Mendeleev's periodic table not only arranged the elements by increasing atomic mass but also grouped them based on their properties, predicting the existence of undiscovered elements and leaving gaps for them.
4. Mendeleev's work laid the foundation for the modern periodic table, which arranges elements by increasing atomic number (number of protons) and groups them based on similar chemical properties.
Therefore, Mendeleev's systematic approach with decks of cards played a crucial role in the development of the periodic table as we know it today.
