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When were gallium, scandium, and germanium discovered?
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Dmitri Mendeleev
The Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev.
The Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev predicted the existence and properties of gallium, scandium, and germanium in 1871 based on gaps in his periodic table. These elements were subsequently discovered in the following years:3
- Gallium: Discovered in 1875 by the French chemist Paul-Ămile Lecoq de Boisbaudran.12
- Scandium: Its oxide was discovered in 1879 by the Swedish chemist Lars Fredrik Nilson, and it was identified as Mendeleev's predicted element later that same year by Per Teodor Cleve.3
- Germanium: Discovered in 1886 by the German chemist Clemens Winkler.4