Elements

Revision: The elements

There are so many elements in the periodic table, I would take ages to cover them all, so I am going to give some revison notes on a few of the more common and known ones.

Calcium
Calcium is part of the Alkali earth metals. On the Periodic table it is in group 2. Calcium: Ca Atomic number: 20

Where is it found? Calcium is found in minerals such as limestone, chalk, and marble, which are all forms of calcium carbonate.

What are its main uses? It is important mineral in our diet- our teeth and bones contain lots of it. To make cement and concrete we use Calcium oxide. In Iron and Steel making, Calcium carbonate is used. And Plaster of Paris contains Calcium sulphate. chemistry.about.com

Neon
It is a noble gas. Neon: Ne Atomic number: 10 It is very common in the universe but it is rarely found on Earth. It is a odorless, colourless gas. It was discovered in 1898, by Sir William Ramsey and Morris W. Travers in London.

Where is it found? Forms of Neon are produced in Stars.

What are it's main uses? Neon is often used in lights and produces an unmistakable bright orange-reddish light. It is also used in vaccum tubes, high voltage indicators, wave meter tubes, television tubes and helium-neon lasers.

[] The symbol of Neon: Ne in a neon light.

Nitrogen
It is a odorless, colourless, tasteless gas. Nitrogen: N Atomic number: 7 It makes up 78% of our atmosphere. It was discovered by Scottish physician Daniel Rutherford in 1722.

Where is it found? Nitrogen is found all around us in the atmosphere.

What are its main uses? Nitrogen is found in Nitroglycerin tablets (to help treat chest pain) and Nitroglycerin pills (for people with the risk of a heart attack), Beer foaming ball, and Nitrogen pressured golf clubs (which are supposed to improve your playing skills). Liquid Nitrogen []

Oxygen
It is in the nonmetal category on the periodic table. Oxygen: O Atomic number: 8 It makes up 21% of our atmosphere. It is a clear gas. It is the most common element in the earths crust. It is essential for all living things.

Where is it found? It is found all around in the atmosphere and air for us to breathe.

What are its main uses? To help all living things breathe, and in its liquid form it creates water which is also essential to life.

Oxygen is all around us. earth-photography.com

Sodium
It is in the alkali metals group. Sodium: Na Atomic number: 11 It is highly reactive and is a soft, white, silvery metal. It was discovered in 1807 by Humphry Davy

Where is it found? It exists in minerals such as sodalite and rock salt.

What are its main uses? Sodium compounds are used in the soap, paper, chemical, petrol and metal industries.



Gold
Gold is a Transition metal. Gold: Au Atomic number: 79 It is dense and soft and is very shiny. It is one of the least reactive metals.

Where is it found? Gold is found in the ground, in gold mines.

What are its main uses? Gold is used mainly in jewlery but is also used in reserach in medicine, biology, and material science. Gold flake is also used sometimes on sweets and drinks as decorative ingredients. It can be truned into thread and used in embroidery and it is sometimes used on CD's Gold Crystals en.wikipedia.org

Carbon
Carbon is part of the nonmetals group. Carbon: C Atomic number: 6 Its colours are colourless (diamonds) and black (graphite).

Where is it found? Carbon is found in diamonds, graphites, plants, animals and their remains?

What are its main uses? Carbon is a compound in petro land limestone. Our bodies are also made up of atoms containing carbon. webelements.com

Helium
Helium is a noble gas. It is a colourless, odorless, tasteless gas. Helium: He Atomic number: 2 It is the second lightest element and the second most abundant element in the universe. It was discovered in 1895 by two Swedish chemists, Per Teoder Cleve and Nils Abraham Langlet.

Where is helium found? Helium is found in Uranium.

What are its main uses? Helium is used to cool the magnets in medical MRI scanners, is found in balloons, Airships, and Lights.

Lead
Lead is a transition metal. It is a soft, malleable, poor metal Lead: Pb Atomic number: 82 At certain exposure levels it can be dangerous substance to animals and humans, it causes brain disorders and affects the nervous system. It has a bluish-white colour when it is freshly cut but tarnishes to a dull grey colour when it is exposed to air.

Where is it found/What are its main uses? Lead is found in paint and was used to make pipes, however they haredly use it anymore as it can be poisonous.

geology.com

Magnesium
Magnesium is in the alkaline metals group. It is the eighth most abundant element n the earths crust. Magnesium: Mg Atomic number: 12 It is not found anturally on earth and is very reactive, when it is lit it burns with a bright white light.

Where is it found? It is never found free in nature but is found in abundance in the earths crust

What are its main uses? Magnesium is used in photographic flashbulbs, fireworks, bombs, flares and sparklers. en.wikipedia.org

Sources of information: wikipedia.com [] []