Answer: Mendeleev first published a table of elements arranged according to increasing atomic masses. He noticed that some elements near each other had differing properties, but elements in vertical columns had similar properties. Moseley then rearranged the table according to atomic numbers and this eliminated the discrepancies found in Mendeleev’s attempt. Today’s version of the periodic table displays elements in order based on their atomic number; the atomic number indicates the number of protons within the atoms of a particular element. Rows are called periods and columns are called groups. Elements in the same group have similar properties. Elements are grouped into nine categories: noble gases, halogens, nonmetals, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, transition metals, other metals, metalloids, and rare earth elements.