In 1887, the Royal Society, London gave the Davy Medal for the 'discovery of the periodic law of chemical elements' to _________.

John Alexander Newland

The correct answer is option 4. John Alexander Newland.

While Dmitri Mendeleev and Lothar Meyer are both credited with the development of the periodic table, it was John Alexander Newland who received the Davy Medal in 1887 specifically for his contributions to the early understanding of periodic relationships among elements. He proposed the "Law of Octaves", which laid the foundation for further exploration of periodic patterns.

Here's a brief explanation of the other options:

AEB de Chancourtois: While he proposed a classification system based on musical triads, it was not recognized as a complete periodic table and didn't gain widespread acceptance.

Dmitri Mendeleev: He received the Copley Medal (highest award of the Royal Society) in 1905 for his contributions to chemistry and physics, but not the Davy Medal for the specific discovery of the periodic law.

Lothar Meyer: He also contributed to the development of the periodic table, but he was not awarded the Davy Medal for it.