# Periodic Table (PSE) — Tips & Tricks > Know-how for the Periodic Table (PSE): search and filter smartly, read the data correctly, use the language toggle, avoid pitfalls, and know what the tool is not. Source: https://www.jpkc.com/db/en/tools/pse/tips/ Back to the overview: [Periodic Table (PSE)](https://www.jpkc.com/db/en/tools/pse/) · Open the tool live: [www.jpkc.com/tools/pse/](https://www.jpkc.com/tools/pse/) The [manual](https://www.jpkc.com/db/en/tools/pse/manual/) explains every feature, the [examples](https://www.jpkc.com/db/en/tools/pse/examples/) show the lookup paths. This page is about what both assume but rarely spell out: how to find things faster, how to read the data correctly, and where the tool's limits are. ## Search and filter faster - **The search knows four ways to the same element.** It checks the English name, the German name, the symbol, *and* the atomic number — simultaneously and regardless of the selected language. So you don't have to switch to German first to find "Sauerstoff"; even in the English view the German name hits. The fastest input is usually the **symbol** (`Fe`, `Au`, `W`) or the **atomic number**. - **Search and category filter act in combination.** The two together combine with logical AND. That's useful for narrowing down a class — "all transition metals with a 'c' in the name" — but also a pitfall: if an expected element doesn't show up, often an **old category filter is still active**. When in doubt, press the **× reset**. - **Reset clears both at once.** The × button next to the search field wipes the search text *and* the category filter together. It's only active while something is filtered — if it's greyed out, the table is already in its full state. - **The legend isn't just decoration.** Each color entry is a filter. One click on "Halogens" shows you immediately which elements belong to it — faster than hunting them down one by one in the grid. ## Read the data correctly - **Temperatures are given in Kelvin *and* Celsius.** The detail view shows melting and boiling point in both units side by side. So there's nothing to convert — just make sure you read the right one. - **Square brackets on the atomic mass are intentional.** A mass like `[267]` (instead of `267`) means the element has **no stable natural isotope**; the value given is the mass number of the most stable known isotope. This applies to the radioactive and superheavy elements. - **An em-dash means "not defined".** When you see "—" for melting point, boiling point, density, or electronegativity, the value is unknown or not meaningfully stated for that element — typical for the superheavy elements at the end of the table and for the electronegativity of most noble gases (except krypton and xenon). It's not a flaw in the table. - **The state of matter is for room temperature.** The colored dot on the tile (and the "State (25°C)" field in the detail view) refers to the state at around 25 °C. "Unknown" mostly applies to the superheavy elements, whose state hasn't been experimentally confirmed. - **The block derives from the category.** S, P, D, and F block follow directly from the element category (f for lanthanides/actinides, d for transition metals, s for alkali/alkaline earth metals plus helium, otherwise p). Useful for understanding the structure of the periodic table. ## Use language cleverly - **The PSE starts in English.** On the very first visit (before the first toggle) the table is English. If you need German names, click the **DE** button once — after that the tool remembers your choice locally in the browser. - **The button label shows the target, not the current state.** "DE" on the button means: *click here to switch to German*. When the table is already in German, the button reads "EN". Mix that up and you toggle one time too many. - **Both language names are searchable at the same time.** Handy for mixed classes or bilingual work: whether someone types "Tungsten" or "Wolfram", both find the same element — without switching language first. ## Pitfalls - **It's a reference work, not a calculator.** The PSE provides properties per element but **doesn't compute**: no molar mass of compounds, no reaction equations, no stoichiometry. For those tasks it's the data source, not the tool. - **No full isotope list.** There's one atomic mass per element, not a breakdown of all isotopes. The square brackets only point to the most stable isotope. - **No direct link to an element.** You can't share a URL that opens with "iron" showing — the state (language, filter, opened element) lives in the browser, not in the address. Better to point to the tool plus "search for Fe". - **Lanthanides and actinides are relocated.** If you look for them at position 3 of periods 6 and 7, you'll only find placeholder tiles ("57–71" and "89–103"). The elements themselves sit as two f-block rows **below** the main table — the usual textbook layout. - **Scroll on narrow screens.** The 18-column grid is wider than a phone display; the table is horizontally scrollable. If elements seem "missing" on the right, just swipe sideways. ## What the tool is not — and where to go next The PSE is deliberately lean: a fast, offline-capable, privacy-friendly reference with no account and no server. It replaces **no** chemistry learning system and **no** calculator — it answers "What data does element X have?" reliably and instantly. If you want to work further with the element data, other JPKCom tools fit in: - **[Colors](https://www.jpkc.com/db/en/tools/colors/)** — if you want to reuse the PSE's ten category colors in your own teaching or material graphics: color picker, gradients, and palettes. - **[Info Tools](https://www.jpkc.com/db/en/tools/info/)** — another compact reference from the JPKCom toolbox when you need browser or system information. --- More context: the [overview](https://www.jpkc.com/db/en/tools/pse/) for the big picture, the [manual](https://www.jpkc.com/db/en/tools/pse/manual/) for all data and features, and the [examples](https://www.jpkc.com/db/en/tools/pse/examples/) for the step-by-step paths. You can try it all directly in the [tool](https://www.jpkc.com/tools/pse/).