The next time you're in a hardware or home-improvement store, take a look at the tools. How many different kinds of steel can you find?
Showing posts with label boron. Show all posts
Showing posts with label boron. Show all posts
Friday, July 22, 2011
Steel Away!
One of the most common metals used in today's world is steel. Steel is mostly iron, but it also contains other elements. As we've already seen, this kind of metal mixture is called an alloy. Most steel contains carbon in addition to iron. Stainless steel also has some chromium, and it doesn't rust. Other types include elements such as molybdenum, vanadium, tungsten, nickel, silicon, manganese, or boron. Different types of steel are used for different purposes. Some are good at high temperatures; others are hard and good at cutting.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Fun Facts 7
MORE element information!
- The famous composer Ludwig van Beethoven probably died from lead (Pb, #82) poisoning. That would explain why he was sick so often, and why he lost his hearing.
- The metal rhenium (Re, #75) is used to make jet engines because it remains strong at high temperatures.
- Glass containing boron (B, #5) can be used in the oven; this is sometimes called Pyrex glass.
- Vanadium (V, #23) was actually discovered twice! In 1801, Manuel del Rio from Mexico City found vanadium in a metal ore sample. However, other scientists convinced him that he had made a mistake. It wasn't until 1831 that the Swede Nils Gabriel Sefström rediscovered it. Scientists quickly realized that del Rio had been first, and he is considered to be the official discoverer of vanadium.
- Some compounds made with bromine (Br, #35) do not burn easily, so they may be added to plastics as flame retardants.
- Albert Einstein is one of the most famous scientists of all time, so it is not surprising that he has an element named after him - einsteinium (Es, #99). Unfortunately, it's not really used for anything!
- The radioactive element uranium (U, #92) strengthens the armor on miliary vehicles such as tanks.
- Iodine (I, #53) is commonly added to table salt to help keep people's thyroid glands healthy.
- Small, but very powerful, magnets made with neodymium (Nd, #60) are used in cell phones, computers, and cars.
- Arsenic (As, #33) is well-known as a poison, and has been used to kill pests such as bugs and mice since the time of the ancient Chinese.
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