How many elements are in the periodic table?

The periodic table currently includes 118 confirmed elements, from hydrogen with atomic number 1 to oganesson with atomic number 118. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) approved the names and symbols for elements 113, 115, 117, and 118 in 2016. Scientists create the heaviest elements in particle accelerators by smashing lighter nuclei together, but many of these superheavy atoms exist for only fractions of a second. The discovery of new elements is extremely difficult because they are produced one atom at a time and identified through their decay chains. As of today, 118 is the highest verified atomic number.