8 Alternative Periodic Tables

You are no doubt familiar with the Periodic Table of Elements. My first post here on mental_floss two years ago was about the imaginative way people used the periodic table form for things besides elements. And they continue to do so, as shown by these eight relatively recent tables.

1. Cupcakes

The Periodic Table of Cupcakes divides the many kinds of cupcakes into five groups: basics, fruit, nature, holiday, and kids favorites. You can click on  cell at the site and bring up a recipe for that particular cupcake!

2. Awesomements

What's an awesomement? It's something that is awesome! From bacon to holograms, from ninjas to Christopher Walken, The Periodic Table of Awesoments lines them out for your enjoyment and/or disagreements. Oh, you'll find something -probably many things- in here that you like.

3. Typefaces

The Periodic Table of Typefaces charts the 100 "most popular, influential and notorious" typefaces in use. The table is headed by Helvetica and Futura, and runs all the way to Uncial and Beowulf.

4. The Printmaking Project

The Periodic Table Printmaking Project brought 97 printmakers together to illustrate the 118 elements of the original periodic table with different mediums, including woodcut, linotype, silkscreen, etc. The indivual elements and projects photos are in this Flickr pool.

5. Cartoons

Andrew Spears created the Periodic Table of Cartoons. How many can you name?

With a love of animation, I created this. Main characters from cartoons are organized into the periodic table of elements. The first letter of their name is represented by the first letter of the element. The following letter(s) will be somewhere in their name in the same order. Some of these cartoons are a little old, so don't be surprised if you can't name them right away. Knowing the element will help you solve the cartoon character's name.

6. Video Game Characters

The periodic table of cartoon characters inspired IHeartChaos to produce the Periodic Table of Video Game Characters. The symbols of the elements have something to do with the name of the characters as much as possible. If you know all of these, you spent a good chunk of your life playing video games.

7. Videos

Despite the name, The Periodic Table of Videos is not made of Blu-Ray movies. This periodic table of the elements was produced by the University of Nottingham to teach about real elements, but with a difference. Each element has a video attached about the element. For example, under Gallium (Ga), you can watch how a glob of molten Gallium will react while submerged in sulphuric acid. It beats like a heart! If the other videos are all as fascinating, you can spend all day learning chemistry at this site.

8. LEGO®

The LEGO® Periodic Table likewise contains the elements, but with a twist in that the table itself is made of Lego bricks. The colors of the bricks represent the different types of elements, and the small blue bricks attached represent the number of valence electrons in the main group.

Periodic Tableware

Earlier periodic tables include comic book characters, desserts, and funk music. And a couple of real tables you can work or eat at! Read more about them in Periodic Tableware.

More Periodic Tableware

Another post on periodic tables covers those of candy, vegetables, website, and mathematicians. And don't forget the periodic table shower curtain available in the mental_floss store!