law of octaves
law of octaves, in chemistry, the generalization made by the English chemist J.A.R. Newlands in 1865 that, if the chemical elements are arranged according to increasing atomic weight, those with similar physical and chemical properties occur after each interval of seven elements. Newlands was one of the first to detect a periodic pattern in the properties of the elements and anticipated later developments of the periodic law.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
This article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.
Citation Information
Article Title:
law of octaves
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
14 March 2019
Access Date:
November 15, 2026