EkaIn

EkaIn is a hypothetical element proposed by Dmitri Mendeleev in 1871. Mendeleev predicted its existence based on the periodic trends he observed in his periodic table. He placed ekaIn below indium and above thallium in Group III. He believed that elements in the same group would share similar chemical properties and that there were gaps in his periodic table that would eventually be filled by newly discovered elements. Mendeleev suggested that ekaIn would have an atomic weight of approximately 130. He also predicted some of its properties, such as it being a metal with a low melting point and forming a basic oxide. The discovery of gallium by Paul-Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran in 1875 provided strong evidence for Mendeleev's predictions. Gallium's properties closely matched those Mendeleev had described for ekaIn, and its atomic weight was close to the predicted value. Therefore, gallium is considered the element that corresponds to Mendeleev's ekaIn. The name "eka" is Sanskrit for "one" and was used by Mendeleev to denote an element one position below another.