The 41st metallic chemical element with the symbol Nb. Niobium is hard, durable, and strong, being very helpful in alloys for jet engines and oil rigs. It is also non-toxic and very pretty when anodized, making it an ideal metal for jewelry and art. It is classified as a semi-precious metal, but with its industrial and decorative uses, it becomes a very precious metal for some. The metal got its name from "Niobe", who was the daughter of Tantalus in Greek Mythology. This is also evident on the periodic table, due to Niobium being situated directly above Tantalum. However, it was originally named "Columbium", and was later changed for obvious reasons.
by CHNOPS July 09, 2020
The 29th element with the symbol Cu and a beautiful pink-orange hue. Copper is a huge multi-tasker metal, with decorative, industrial, plumbing, electronic, and culinary uses, making it extremely useful in everyday life. Most of its practical applications make use of Copper's availability and conductivity. It is widespread in many countries, and is easily accessible. Copper is also the 2nd most conductive metal. In addition to being common and a great transmitter, it is very soft, allowing it to be bent into many different shapes easily. However, as good as Copper may seem, it is chemically reactive in the air, quickly developing a black tarnish that ruins the orange-y hue that many people love. It is also too soft; requiring the support of other metals for strength. The name "Copper" comes from the Latin "Cuprum", meaning "from the island of Cyprus". The Romans discovered that this metal was abundant on Cyprus, and mined large quantities of it.
by CHNOPS July 09, 2020
The 10th element with the symbol Ne. Neon is one of the most well-known noble gases, largely due to the fact that it is used in Neon signs and lights that pop up on fast-food diners and companies that want customers badly. Despite being the most famous out of all the noble gases, it is quite uncommon in our atmosphere, with Argon - another fellow noble gas - being 23x more abundant than Neon. Like the rest of the other gases in its group, Neon is 100% inert and antisocial, and will not tolerate participating in reactions with other chemicals. It is also monatomic, meaning that it occurs as a single atom, unlike Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, and the halogens, which occur as two tightly-bonded atoms due to their high reactivity. Neon derived its name from the Greek "Neos", which meant "new". And at the time of its discovery (1898), an invincible gas that could emit a red glow from excitement would be considered "new".
by CHNOPS July 09, 2020
Element #87, with the symbol Fr. Francium is the exact opposite of stable, decaying in a matter of nanoseconds. Its most stable isotope, Francium-223, decays in only 22 minutes. It is extremely radioactive, and has no uses besides being a space-filler on the periodic table. One could say that it could be used as a weapon, but the fact that only 30 grams of the stuff can exist on Earth at a time would rule out that suggestion. Single Francium atoms are also fiendishly difficult to synthesize. These factors effectively make Francium forever useless and obsolete. Francium was named after France, where it was discovered in Paris.
by CHNOPS July 09, 2020