Dmitri Mendeleev was a Russian chemist known as the father of the periodic table. He arranged the elements in order of atomic mass, leaving spaces for undiscovered elements. Mendeleev's periodic law states that physical and chemical properties are periodic functions of atomic mass. His predictions about undiscovered elements were later proven correct. Mendeleev published seminal chemistry textbooks and worked to introduce the metric system in Russia. He received honors including the Davy Medal and Copley Medal for his groundbreaking work establishing the periodic table.