The document discusses the periodic table, including its structure and history. It is arranged in order of increasing atomic number, with elements of similar properties grouped vertically. Dmitri Mendeleev created the first periodic table in 1869, arranging elements by atomic mass and predicting properties of undiscovered elements. Elements are grouped into vertical columns and horizontal rows, with metals on the left and non-metals on the right. Groups contain elements with the same number of valence electrons, while periods contain elements with the same number of electron shells.