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
What was I thinking of last week, Mn isn't the only element with 2 sequential letters for its chemical symbol. Cd is another....
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