IRON
Most people are familiar with the 26th element - Iron. Its first claim to fame is from the Iron Age. This period of history extended from about 800BC to about 100BC. Prior to this we had had the Stone and then the Bronze age. The discovery of Iron led to great advances in civilization. Instead of having to mould tools, smiths were able to heat the iron and beat it into shape.
Though the 6th most common element in the universe, Iron is the most common element in the planet - most of the outer and inner core of the earth are made up of Iron. It is also essential for life. Haemoglobin in our blood is an iron containing molecule. A shortage of Iron in the human body leads to anemia. To prevent this Iron is added to some staple foodstuffs such as breakfast cereals.
So Iron has the chemical symbol Fe. Like manganese its symbol is made up of 2 sequential alphabetic letters, however Fe are sequential when you are saying the alphabet backwards.
Iron is very reactive - it reacts with oxygen to form rust. This rust then flakes off leaving the metal surface exposed so more rust formation occurs. Because Iron rusts so readily there are not many ancient pieces of iron from the Iron age still in existence.
Iron is mixed with Carbon to form steel. Steel is stronger than Iron.
Experiment of the Week
Extract Iron from Breakfast cereal.
You will need:
100g Cereal fortified with iron
A large ziploc bag
A magnet - it is a good idea to cover the magnet with sticky tape before doing this experiment as it is very difficult to remove the iron filings from the magnet when you have finished.
Magnifying glass
What to do:
Pour the cereal into the ziploc bag.
Put the magnet into the bag
Seal the bag
Shake the bag making sure the magnet moves around all the cereal.
Remove the magnet and examine it using a magnifying glass.
You should see little iron filings on the magnet.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
From Hydrogen to Tellurium - Manganese
Manganese
The first interesting thing I notice about this, the 25th element in the periodic table is that it is the only element in the periodic table whose chemical symbol consists of two sequential letters in the alphabet - Mn. Although Manganese, which is a metal does exist in nature it is not something I have ever knowingly come across. Most of my experience with Manganese is in the Manganese containing compound - Potassium Permanganate KMnO4
Potassium permanganate, which will cause purple stains if it comes in contact with your skin is often used in school and college chemistry experiments. I have only learned recently that it is also used to sterilise water and wounds and because of these properties and the fact that when mixed with ground up glucose tablets the friction causes it to ignite it is often included in survival kits.
Anyway to get back to the element itself........It is often used to prevent steel rusting.
Because Manganese compounds are often coloured they are used as pigments
The first interesting thing I notice about this, the 25th element in the periodic table is that it is the only element in the periodic table whose chemical symbol consists of two sequential letters in the alphabet - Mn. Although Manganese, which is a metal does exist in nature it is not something I have ever knowingly come across. Most of my experience with Manganese is in the Manganese containing compound - Potassium Permanganate KMnO4
Potassium permanganate, which will cause purple stains if it comes in contact with your skin is often used in school and college chemistry experiments. I have only learned recently that it is also used to sterilise water and wounds and because of these properties and the fact that when mixed with ground up glucose tablets the friction causes it to ignite it is often included in survival kits.
Anyway to get back to the element itself........It is often used to prevent steel rusting.
Because Manganese compounds are often coloured they are used as pigments
Sunday, June 12, 2011
From Hydrogen to Tellurium - CHROMIUM
Chromium
Even before I understood the term metal, I had been introduced to Chromium, the 24th element in the periodic table. Polishing the Chromium bumper on my Dad's car is one of my early childhood memories, and very shiny it was too. It was much later when I learned that Chromium was used for this decorative purpose on cars because one of its properties is that it can be polished to give a very shiny appearance.
Even before I understood the term metal, I had been introduced to Chromium, the 24th element in the periodic table. Polishing the Chromium bumper on my Dad's car is one of my early childhood memories, and very shiny it was too. It was much later when I learned that Chromium was used for this decorative purpose on cars because one of its properties is that it can be polished to give a very shiny appearance.
Our car was black, just like this one, with chrome plated bumpers, front grill, hubcaps, etc.
At number 24, Chromium has 24 electrons. It is known as Cr for short. Although most Chromium is extracted from minerals, there are some places in the world where it can be mined as Chromium metal.
Its name, Chromium, comes from the Greek word Chroma which means colour. It was given this name because Chromium combines with many different elements to give different coloured compounds. Over the years many of these Chromium compounds have been used to give paints their colours. Chromium compounds are not used so much for paint any more as people are worried about the effect these compounds have on our bodies.
My birthstone - the emerald, gets its green colour from the presence of Chromium atoms in it.
Rubies also get their red colour from the presence of Chromium atoms
Another use for Chromium is in the manufacture of stainless steel. On its own iron reacts with the oxygen in the atmosphere to form rusts. This means that untreated iron is not that useful. However if iron is mixed with Chromium the resulting alloy is stainless steel. This type of steel is enormously useful.
This week's challenge
Look around your house and see if you can find 10 places where you are using stainless steel. You can list them below or upload photos of them - maybe even your photo frame is made from stainless steel.....
Friday, June 10, 2011
From Hydrogen to Tellurium - VANADIUM
Vanadium
The 23rd element is Vanadium. Scientists use the letter V for it. Vanadium is a metal, with 23 electrons. When it was first discovered scientists thought it was just another form of Chromium, the element we will be discussing next week.
According to jlab.org it was first discovered in South America and below is the interesting story about its discovery. It shows how difficult it was to get information and samples around the world in the 1800s.
Steve Gagnon writes - Vanadium was discovered by Andrés Manuel del Rio, a Mexican chemist, in 1801. Rio sent samples of vanadium ore and a letter describing his methods to the Institute de France in Paris, France, for analysis and confirmation. Unfortunately for Rio, his letter was lost in a shipwreck and the Institute only received his samples, which contained a brief note describing how much this new element, which Rio had named erythronium, resembled chromium. Rio withdrew his claim when he received a letter from Paris disputing his discovery. Vanadium was rediscovered by Nils Gabriel Sefstrôm, a Swedish chemist, in 1830 while analyzing samples of iron from a mine in Sweden. Check out http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele023.html for more information
Vanadium doesn't exist on its own in nature but is combined with other elements to form rocks and minerals.
It is a useful metal as it is corrosion resistant and strong. It is mixed with Iron to form an alloy which is used in axles, crankshafts and gears for cars, parts of jet engines, springs and tools
The 23rd element is Vanadium. Scientists use the letter V for it. Vanadium is a metal, with 23 electrons. When it was first discovered scientists thought it was just another form of Chromium, the element we will be discussing next week.
According to jlab.org it was first discovered in South America and below is the interesting story about its discovery. It shows how difficult it was to get information and samples around the world in the 1800s.
Steve Gagnon writes - Vanadium was discovered by Andrés Manuel del Rio, a Mexican chemist, in 1801. Rio sent samples of vanadium ore and a letter describing his methods to the Institute de France in Paris, France, for analysis and confirmation. Unfortunately for Rio, his letter was lost in a shipwreck and the Institute only received his samples, which contained a brief note describing how much this new element, which Rio had named erythronium, resembled chromium. Rio withdrew his claim when he received a letter from Paris disputing his discovery. Vanadium was rediscovered by Nils Gabriel Sefstrôm, a Swedish chemist, in 1830 while analyzing samples of iron from a mine in Sweden. Check out http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele023.html for more information
Vanadium doesn't exist on its own in nature but is combined with other elements to form rocks and minerals.
It is a useful metal as it is corrosion resistant and strong. It is mixed with Iron to form an alloy which is used in axles, crankshafts and gears for cars, parts of jet engines, springs and tools
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