The poetry of reality Science
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We must know. We will know.
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A view from the shoulders of giants.
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This is a list of the elements listed in the periodic table.[1]
Hydrogen[edit]
| Element |
Atomic Number |
Use(s) |
Symbol |
Radioactive?
|
| Hydrogen |
1 |
Blowing up the Hindenburg, Composing the vast majority of the universe's matter |
H |
No
|
Alkali metals[edit]
| Element |
Atomic Number |
Use(s) |
Symbol |
Radioactive?
|
| Lithium |
3 |
making rechargeable batteries |
Li |
No
|
| Sodium |
11 |
part of table salt |
Na |
No
|
| Potassium |
19 |
plant nutrient (potassium nitrate), potassium iodide in iodized table salt |
K |
No
|
| Rubidium |
37 |
In very precise clocks |
Rb |
No
|
| Cesium |
55 |
atomic clocks |
Cs |
No
|
| Francium |
87 |
never produced in appreciable amounts |
Fr |
Yes
|
Alkali earth metals[edit]
| Element |
Atomic Number |
Use(s) |
Symbol |
Radioactive?
|
| Beryllium |
4 |
strong but lightweight material |
Be |
No
|
| Magnesium |
12 |
Lots, present in chlorophyll, alloys |
Mg |
No
|
| Calcium |
20 |
present in bones and cement |
Ca |
No
|
| Strontium |
38 |
red fireworks, glass in old-fashioned CRT televisions |
Sr |
No
|
| Barium |
56 |
drilling fluid, rat poison, medical imaging |
Ba |
No
|
| Radium |
88 |
Being radioactive |
Ra |
Yes
|
Transition metals[edit]
| Element |
Atomic Number |
Use(s) |
Symbol |
Radioactive?
|
| Scandium |
21 |
When you need tools |
Sc |
No
|
| Titanium |
22 |
strong but lightweight, artificial bones, aircraft parts |
Ti |
No
|
| Vanadium |
23 |
In tools |
V |
No
|
| Chromium |
24 |
Chrome plating, stainless steel |
Cr |
No
|
| Manganese |
25 |
Alloying with steel and aluminum |
Mn |
No
|
| Iron |
26 |
ferromagnetic, (electro)magnets, steel, good conductor of heat and electricity, part of hemoglobin |
Fe |
No
|
| Cobalt |
27 |
ferromagnetic, coloring glass blue |
Co |
No
|
| Nickel |
28 |
in currency, certain kinds of stainless steel |
Ni |
No
|
| Copper |
29 |
coins, good conductor of heat and electricity; The first metal humans smelted |
Cu |
No
|
| Zinc |
30 |
In currency |
Zn |
No
|
| Yittrium |
39 |
Forms YBCO |
Y |
No
|
| Zirconium |
40 |
Fake diamonds |
Zr |
No
|
| Niobium |
41 |
Piercings |
Nb |
No
|
| Molybdenum |
42 |
Alloys, generating technetium |
Mo |
No
|
| Technetium |
43 |
nuclear medicine |
Tc |
Yes
|
| Ruthenium |
44 |
Being a metal no one's heard of |
Ru |
No
|
| Rhodium |
45 |
Plating cheap jewelry |
Rh |
No
|
| Palladium |
46 |
Imitating silver |
Pd |
No
|
| Silver |
47 |
Mirrors, great conductor of heat and electricity, coins |
Ag |
No
|
| Cadmium |
48 |
Yellow, carcinogenic pigment |
Cd |
No
|
| Hafnium |
72 |
Plasma torches |
Hf |
No
|
| Tantalum |
73 |
Capacitors..maybe one is in the device you're using to read this |
Ta |
No
|
| Tungsten |
74 |
Incredibly high melting point, mining drills, lightbulbs/globes, armor-piecing shells |
W |
No
|
| Rhenium |
75 |
Alloys, thin wires |
Re |
No
|
| Osmium |
76 |
Alloying with iridium; most dense metal |
Os |
No
|
| Iridium |
77 |
Spark plug electrodes |
Ir |
No
|
| Platinum |
78 |
Jewelry; being really expensive catalysis |
Pt |
No
|
| Gold |
79 |
Jewelry, money!!! |
Au |
No
|
| Mercury |
80 |
First planet from the sun Poison, thermometers |
Hg |
No
|
| Rutherfordium |
104 |
None |
Rf |
Yes
|
| Dubnium |
105 |
None |
Db |
Yes
|
| Seaborgium |
106 |
None |
Sg |
Yes
|
| Bohrium |
107 |
None |
Bh |
Yes
|
| Hassium |
108 |
None |
Hs |
Yes
|
| Meitnerium |
109 |
None |
Mt |
Yes
|
| Darmstadtium |
110 |
None |
Ds |
Yes
|
| Roentgenium |
111 |
None |
Rg |
Yes
|
| Copernicium |
112 |
None |
Cn |
Yes
|
Semimetals[edit]
| Element |
Atomic Number |
Use(s) |
Symbol |
Radioactive?
|
| Boron |
5 |
Fiberglass |
B |
No
|
| Silicon |
14 |
Electronics |
Si |
No
|
| Germanium |
32 |
Camera lenses |
Ge |
No
|
| Arsenic |
33 |
Poison |
As |
No
|
| Antimony |
51 |
Alloying with lead |
Sb |
No
|
| Tellurium |
52 |
In DVDs |
Te |
No
|
Post-transition metals[edit]
| Element |
Atomic Number |
Use(s) |
Symbol |
Radioactive?
|
| Aluminum |
13 |
Airplanes, foil |
Al |
No
|
| Gallium |
31 |
Having a low melting point |
Ga |
No
|
| Indium |
49 |
Thermometers |
In |
No
|
| Tin |
50 |
Making some things |
Sn |
No
|
| Thallium |
81 |
Poison |
Tl |
No
|
| Lead |
82 |
Poison, pipes |
Pb |
No
|
| Bismuth |
83 |
Pepto-Bismol |
Bi |
Yes(technically)[2]
|
| Polonium |
84 |
Assassinating ex-FSB agents |
Po |
Yes
|
| Nihonium |
113 |
None |
Nh |
Yes
|
Chalcogens[edit]
| Element |
Atomic Number |
Use(s) |
Symbol |
Radioactive?
|
| Oxygen |
8 |
Breathing |
O |
No
|
| Sulfur |
16 |
Creating face-melting acid |
S |
No
|
| Selenium |
34 |
Glass production |
Se |
No
|
Halogens[edit]
| Element |
Atomic Number |
Use(s) |
Symbol |
Radioactive?
|
| Fluorine |
9 |
Toothpaste |
F |
No
|
| Chlorine |
17 |
Disinfecting swimming pools |
Cl |
No
|
| Bromine |
35 |
Disinfectant |
Br |
No
|
| Iodine |
53 |
Antiseptic |
I |
No
|
| Astatine |
85 |
None |
At |
Yes
|
| Tennessine |
117 |
None |
Ts |
Yes
|
Noble gases[edit]
| Element |
Atomic Number |
Use(s) |
Symbol |
Radioactive?
|
| Helium |
2 |
In balloons, blimps and zeppelins; liquid helium has interesting properties and is one of the coolest materials known to science |
He |
No
|
| Neon |
10 |
Neon lights, hence the name |
Ne |
No
|
| Argon |
18 |
Shield gas for substances that oxidize easily |
Ar |
No
|
| Krypton |
36 |
Superman's home planet Incandescent bulbs |
Kr |
No
|
| Xenon |
54 |
Galactic ruler of Scientology fame Highly efficient, electrically-powered ion thrusters on satellites |
Xe |
No
|
| Radon |
86 |
Leading cause of lung cancer that isn't smoking or asbestos |
Rn |
Yes
|
| Oganesson |
118 |
None |
Og |
Yes
|
Rare Earth metals[edit]
| Element |
Atomic Number |
Use(s) |
Symbol |
Radioactive?
|
| Lanthanum |
57 |
Flints |
La |
No
|
| Cerium |
58 |
Lighter flints |
Ce |
No
|
| Praseodymium |
59 |
Coloring glass yellow |
Pr |
No
|
| Neodymium |
60 |
Very strong magnets |
Nd |
No
|
| Promethium |
61 |
Atomic batteries |
Pm |
Yes
|
| Samarium |
62 |
Powerful magnets used in electronics |
Sm |
No
|
| Europium |
63 |
Red and blue phosphors in CRT televisions |
Eu |
No
|
| Gadolinium |
64 |
Increasing contrast in MRI scans |
Gd |
No
|
| Terbium |
65 |
Fluorescent lights |
Tb |
No
|
| Dysprosium |
66 |
Nuclear control rods |
Dy |
No
|
| Holmium |
67 |
High strength magnets |
Ho |
No
|
| Erbium |
68 |
Photographic filters |
Er |
No
|
| Thulium |
69 |
Lasers |
Tm |
No
|
| Ytterbium |
70 |
Strengthening stainless steel |
Yb |
No
|
| Lutetium |
71 |
Lights in LEDs |
Lu |
No
|
References[edit]