chem element spot light

Hydrogen

simplest

helium

discovered on sun before found on earth

lithium

lightest and simplest of all solids

beryllium

deadly poison with a sugary taste

boron

metalloid

carbon

Graphite ( so popular as a machinery lubricant, hard to keep up with demand) and diamonds (natural vs manmade)

nitrogen

crucial to life, found in proteins

oxygen

vital for sustaining life; almost 20% of the atmosphere

fluorine

most reactive element on the table

neon

no stable compound of neon exists

sodium

so reactive, not found by itself in nature

magnesium

alloyed to make car bodies and items that need to be light

aluminum

most abundant metal on the surface of the earth

silicon

silica=main ingredient in sand

phosphorus

white(most common), red, black- all arranged differently

sulfur

bible times… brimstone

chlorine

used in SO many things-medicines, plastics, paints, paper

potassium

highly explosive

calcium

assists in muscle and the proper release of hormones and enzymes

argon

used in incandescent light bulbs

hydrogen

¾ of universe (H+H=He)

hydrogen

present in nearly all molecules in living things

hydrogen

rocket fuel (NASA)

hydrogen

hydrogen fuel cells say their pollution free, but process in making H is not so much b/c coming from natural gas (researching cleaner ways)

hydrogen

most used for production of ammonia (fertilizers) and vegetable oils

helium

balloons… since gas is less dense, when it surrounds your vocal cords they vibrate faster and the pitch skyrockets

helium

but you don’t want to inhale too much so that you replace oxygen in the lungs

helium

we get from natural gas too, because there is not enough to extract from air

helium

no one has successfully made a compound with helium

lithium

floats because of its low density

lithium

lithium ion batteries- super lightweight technology

lithium

US only has one mine in Nevada, dependent on Chile and Australia

lithium

lithium carbonate used to treat depression to level mood swings (one of the very first)

lithium

reacts violently with water (bursts into a red flame)

beryllium

super high melting point and light, so ideal for certain materials… like components on the space shuttle or in missiles/aircraft or nuclear reactors

beryllium

just tons of uses

beryllium

found in 30 plus minerals; emeralds and aquamarine

beryllium

airborn? can cause lung cancer

boron

used for absorbing heatrons in control rods

boron

borax

carbon

graphene- stronger than steel, more flexible than rubber

carbon

nearly 10 million carbon compounds discovered

carbon

known since prehistoric times as charcoal

carbon

main source, coal- 30% worldwide fuel

carbon

carbon- 14 dating

carbon

first tattoos- cuts in skin and then rubbed in charcoal

nitrogen

78% of earth’s air

nitrogen

haber process

nitrogen

80% of ammonia goes to fertilizer- overuse=environmental concerns

nitrogen

food preservation

nitrogen

used when a nonreactive atmosphere is needed

nitrogen

nitrous oxide=laughing gas

oxygen

first oxygen on the planet likely from cyanobacteria

oxygen

carbon monoxide- hemoglobin that carries oxygen replaced

oxygen

ozone, can be used as bleaching agent and disinfectant

oxygen

300 million years ago, higher oxygen content lead to huge insects

oxygen

combustion

oxygen

most common element in earth’s crust- tied up in sand

fluorine

added to drinking water and toothpaste to reduce cavities

fluorine

calcium fluoride experimenting lead to the [production of hydrofluoric acid- deadly, even if just splashed on skin

fluorine

too much can be deadly

fluorine

found in 25% of drugs, namely cancer fighting medication

neon

when electricity is applied, it glows intense orange

neon

“neon” lights

sodium

crucial for blood pressure control because it regulates water levels and makes sure the nervous system is working properly

sodium

compounds used for mummification

sodium

many important compounds

magnesium

used for flares and fireworks

magnesium

catalyst in organic reactions, so essential to good health

magnesium

crucial in the body for more than 300 processes

magnesium

most of our magnesium comes from Nevada

aluminum

millions of tons a year are produced

aluminum

takes only 5% of the energy to recycle it vs extracting new from ore but only 50-60% gets recycled. but that number is just an estimate, some say as high as 75%

silicon

quartz=non-crystallized silica

silicon

used to make glass, soap, and adhesives

silicon

NOT silicone, although its in it

silicon

plants use it to strengthen their cell walls

silicon

researchers are finding endless ways to use this element

phosphorus

white can self-ignite at about 86 degrees and will glow in the dark

phosphorus

used in the red tips of ordinary matches- red will turn to white with some friction

phosphorus

found accidentally in 1669 when processing urine in the pursuit of gold

sulfur

skunk’s defensive odor is a sulfur compound (selenium too)

sulfur

mineral associated with volcanoes and hot springs

sulfur

farts= large intestine full of bacteria that release sulfur compounds, but sulfur by itself is odorless until contact with air/moisture to form the compounds

sulfur

sulfur byproducts when refining fossil fuels, now turning into plastics

sulfur

gun powder

sulfur

car batteries

chlorine

common antiseptic and bleaching agent

chlorine

this deadly gas was used in WW1=chemical warfare

chlorine

chicken drenched in chlorine to get rid of fecal matter

chlorine

skin of poison dart frogs

potassium

compounds used in everything from fertilizers to salt substitutes to soaps, deodorants and detergents

potassium

potassium nitrate used to preserve food middle ages

potassium

important as electrolyte-conducts electric signals for proper muscle contraction, only about 20% of Americans get enough potassium

potassium

lethal injection-disrupts electrical signals to heart causing contraction and relaxation

calcium

to absorb properly, need vitamin D

calcium

approximately 2% of the human body is composed of calcium in one form or another

calcium

calcium carbonate=limestone=chalk

calcium

calcium sulfate=plaster of paris

calcium

used for making cement