Category Chemistry

                    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 Important historical documents can be protected from decay with the help of argon.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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            People walking by graveyards at night have often reported sighting strange lights there. Many superstitions have originated out of such phenomena in the past. Such visions would certainly frighten people, if they did not know what caused it. White phosphorus deposited on the ground due to the decomposition of bodies is what causes this scary sight.

            Phosphorus has many crystal structures. White and red phosphorus structures are the most common among them. White phosphorus has a special characteristic: it glows in the dark. It will spontaneously ignite producing a peculiar glow when it comes in contact with air. And for this reason, it is used in fireworks and explosives.

            Phosphorus was the thirteenth element to be discovered. Number 13 being considered inauspicious, the element is sometimes called the ‘devil’s element’. Its glowing nature also adds to it notoriety.

            According to a study conducted in 2013 in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, phosphorus may have been brought to the Earth by meteorites. The study concluded that around 3.5 billion years ago, the element was abundant on Earth.

            Phosphorus is never found on Earth as a free element, because it is highly reactive. It is generally found in minerals. Phosphorus has an important role in the life of organisms as it is found in living cells, including nervous tissues, and bones. Its atomic number is 15, and the symbol is P.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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              You may have made sand castles on the seashore or a riverbank. If you have, you have come in contact with silicon already.

              Silica, an oxide of silicon, is the most common component of sand, which is found everywhere. Since sand and soil make up most of the crust of the Earth, about 27 per cent of it is silicon!

              Silicon is widely used for various industrial purposes. Do you use a computer? Computer chips, transistors, and other electronic circuits are made of silicon. Besides computers, silicon is used in cosmetic implants, skin and hair gels, rubber hoses etc.

              Most of the silicon on Earth is found in the form of silicon oxides such as sand and quartz. Silicon is extracted through a complex process. However, silicon is a prominent health hazard too. Inhalation of fine silica particles can cause a lung condition called ‘silicosis’.

             Asbestos, a compound of silica, was once a favourite substance for making building. Now, we know that it can lead to lung cancer; and therefore, people avoid it. Atomic number of this element is 14, and the symbol is Si.