Category Elements

             Sometimes naming an element is difficult and the discoverer would name it after the place where it was discovered. Our next element is an example. The name scandium comes from the Latin word ‘Scandia’, which stands for Scandinavia, a region in Northern Europe. The element was named after its first discovery in this region; and not many places outside the Scandinavian Peninsula have deposits of this element.

             Scandium is a fairly rare element. It is the 50th most common element in the Earth, and is generally found in small amounts in minerals. The element is very expensive due to its rarity.

             It is a light metal. Scandium is used in baseball bats because the element increases the bat’s striking power. It is also used in the manufacture of bright lights. Stadiums, sporting events, and movie production units make use of these lights. However, its cost is a discouraging factor and hence its popularity has severely suffered.

            It is Lars Fredrik Nelson, a Swedish chemist, who discovered scandium in 1879. Dmitri Mendeleev, referred to as the father of the periodic table, had predicted the existence of the element ten years before its actual discovery. Atomic number of this element is 21, and the symbol is Sc.

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             Imagine humans and animals without bones and teeth! The thing that makes us walk, stand, sit and do anything with our body is this skeletal structure. Calcium is the element essentially necessary for the health of both our teeth and bones.

             Calcium regulates the electricity that passes through the nervous system, and helps muscle contractions in the body. This element plays a vital role in causing contractions in the heart. Ninety-nine per cent of the calcium in our body is accommodated in our teeth and bones. It is the most abundant metallic element in the human body. And thus, calcium assumes great importance in our body.

            The human race has used calcium for thousands of years. Cornish chemist Sir Humphry Davy successfully isolated this silver-coloured metal for the first time in 1808. Calcium is soft, and is always found combined with other elements in nature. It is found in many rocks such as limestone, chalk, and marble. Calcium is also found in minerals such as gypsum and fluorite.

            Calcium compounds are used in the manufacture of cement, glass, lime, bricks, and paint, and as a reduction agent in the preparation of other metals.

            Its atomic number is 20, and the symbol is Ca.

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                    Water is usually used to put out fire, but if you drop a piece of potassium into water, you will see something incredible!

                    The element explodes with a purple flame the moment it is exposed to water. Because potassium is a highly reactive metal. It is very sensitive to the oxygen in the air too. Therefore, potassium has to be stored in mineral oil for safety. And for the same reason, the element is rarely seen in its natural form. However, people are familiar with potassium salts such as, saltpeter and potash and they have been in use for centuries.

                   The fertilizer industry makes great use of potassium, as it is an important nutrient for organisms. It plays a vital role in the human body and is the seventh most abundant element in the human body by weight. Potassium is also used in the production of soap, detergents, dyes, glass, gunpowder, batteries, and even gold. The element derives its name from the word potash.

                   Potassium is a very soft metal. You can easily slice it into pieces with a knife. It makes up roughly 1.5 per cent by mass of the Earth’s crust, and is the seventh most abundant material on Earth.

                   Potassium was the first elemental metal to be produced through electrolysis. Sir Humphry Davy is the scientist who isolated the element for the first time. Atomic number of potassium is 19. Its atomic symbol is K, which comes from its Latin name, Kalium, which means potash.

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             Incandescent lamps were quite common before the advent of fluorescent and LED lights. It was a matter of wonder to see the filament of the bulb keep burning for days and weeks without dying out, or blackening the glass. It is an element called argon that does the trick. Argon does not react with the filament used in the light bulbs, even at high temperatures. And that helps the filament last longer, and keeps the glass of the bulb from blackening.

             The element is often used in the process of preservation. Important historical documents can be protected from decay with the help of argon. If the gas is pumped around such documents, the element will displace oxygen which is reactive and help the pages and ink of the delicate document from degrading.

             Argon is also used for the manufacture of decorative lightings. In the defence industry, the element is considered a blessing, because it is used to cool the heads of heat-seeking missiles.

             Argon was discovered and named by Lord Rayleigh, an English scientist, and Sir William Ramsay, a Scottish  chemist. Argon has no known biological significance. Large amounts of pure argon in enclosed areas will cause people to suffocate.

             Argon is the third most abundant gas on Earth. Its atomic number is 18, and the symbol is Ar.

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            You may have heard people living in cities complain that their water tastes of chlorine. Chlorine is used for sterilizing drinking water and disinfecting swimming pools. However, too much of it in water can cause poisoning.

            Chlorine is an element widely used for various purposes. If you have taken a prescription drug, driven a car, or drunk tap water, you are very likely to have been exposed to chlorine. It is used in the production of some commonly used commodities such as paper, textiles, paints and plastic, and especially PVC. Chlorine is also used in the manufacture of car interiors, as the presence of the element can make those materials, from seat cushions to bumpers, lighter.

           Man has been using chlorine for thousands of years. Chlorine had been discovered in the 18th century; however, it was not recognized as an element and named until 1810 by Sir Humphry Davy. When chlorine combines with other elements, it is known as chloride. Then, it becomes stable and its toxicity decreases. Sodium chloride, otherwise known as salt, is a common household item.

          Chlorine gas was used against the British troops in 1915, during World War I. The gas is dangerously toxic, affecting lungs, and even causing death. Its atomic number is 17, and the symbol is Cl.

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              The titan arum is one of the largest flowers on Earth. It is 10 feet tall and beautiful, but you cannot go near it without closing your nose, as it emits an unbearable stench of rotting fish! The reason for the smell is the presence of sulphur compounds in the flower.

              Sulphur was a known substance from ancient times. However, it was Antoine Lavoisier who proved to the scientific community in 1777 that sulphur was indeed an element. It is a very fine, yellow coloured powder, and it stinks when burned in air. The English call this element brimstone.

              Volcanic eruptions and emissions through hot water vents in oceans are the main sources for the natural occurrence of sulphur on Earth. Despite its unpleasant smell, sulphur has a vital role in preserving life on Earth. It is a part of proteins, and hence, essential to all living beings. Our skin, hair, and nails get strength from the sulphur bond in the protein called keratin. Penicillin, an antibiotic that kills harmful bacteria, is a sulphur compound. Atomic number of this element is 16, and the symbol is S.

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