The periodic table of chemical elements is one of the most significant achievements in science, which is the essence not only of chemistry but also of physics and biology. It is a unique tool, enabling scientists to predict the appearance and properties of matter on the Earth and in the rest of the universe. There are some strange elements in this periodic table, which contains 118 elements, and those elements behave differently in many ways that scientists could never have predicted. Here are ten strange elements from the periodic table.
1. Caesium
The atomic symbol of caesium is Cs. Its atomic number is 55 and the atomic weight is 132.9. It is a soft, silvery-golden metal with a melting point of 28.5 °C, which makes it one of the only five elemental metals rubidium, gallium, mercury, and francium that are liquid around room temperature. Cesium is the most reactive of all metals which pyrophoric and reacts with water even at -116 °C. The most important use of Cesium is in atomic clocks that are a vital part of the internet and mobile phone networks, as well as Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites. The largest application of the element has been as drilling fluids in petroleum exploration. It is also used the production of electricity, in electronics and the caesium compounds are used in organic chemistry.
2. Gallium
The atomic symbol of gallium is Ga. Its atomic number is 31 and the atomic weight is 69.72. Gallium is a soft, silvery-white metal. Elemental gallium is a liquid at temperatures greater than 29.76 °C above room temperature, but below the normal human body temperature of 37 °C. Gallium is used in alloys with low melting points. However, its boiling point is quite high (2,229°C) which is useful in high-temperature thermometers. Gallium is mostly used in semiconductors, electronics. Semiconducting gallium nitride and indium gallium nitride produce blue and violet light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and diode lasers. Gallium is also used in the production of artificial jewelry. Gallium is considered a technology-critical element.
3. Fluorine
The atomic symbol of fluorine is F. Its atomic number is 9 and the atomic weight is 19. Fluorine is a very pale yellow-green, highly toxic, highly corrosive, flammable gas with a pungent odor, and extremely reactive gas of all the elements. It quickly reacts mostly with all other elements. Fluorine and its compounds, mostly uranium hexafluoride are used in processing nuclear fuel. Fluoro-chemicals such as Teflon used as high-temperature plastics are made of fluorine. Sodium fluoride is used in toothpaste and in drinking water to prevent dental cavities.
Hydrofluoric acid can dissolve glass and is used to etch the glass in light bulbs and in other products. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were used as refrigerants in air conditioning units and freezers.
4. Bismuth
The atomic symbol of bismuth is Bi. Its atomic number 83 and the atomic weight are 209. Bismuth was discovered by a French chemist Claude Geoffroy the Younger in 1753. Bismuth is a high-density, a silvery-white color, and pink-tinged metal. It is the most naturally diamagnetic element with the lowest values of thermal conductivity among metals. Bismuth is usually mixed with other metals to make its alloys with low melting points that are used in fire detectors and extinguishers, electric fuses, and solders. Bismuth oxides are used as a yellow pigment in cosmetics and paints. This metal is used as a replacement for lead in shot and bullets. Bismuth subsalicylate is a well-known remedy for stomachaches and diarrhea.
5. Sulfur
The atomic symbol of sulfur is S. Its atomic number 16 and the atomic weight are 32. Sulfur exists in different forms. Mostly, elemental sulfur is a bright yellow crystal or powder at room temperature. The well-known sulfur compound is hydrogen sulfide (H2S) which is a toxic gas, smells like rotten eggs. This compound is used in stink bombs that release a small amount of hydrogen sulfide. Sulfur is used in the production of sulfuric acid (H2SO4), which is known as the “King of Chemicals”, which is required in lead-acid batteries for automotive use.
It is also used in natural rubber, as a fungicide, in black gunpowder, in detergents and in the manufacture of phosphate fertilizers. It is used to make some essential amino acids and co-enzymes in the living-beings.
6. Francium
The atomic symbol of francium is Fr. Its atomic number 87 and the atomic weight is 223. The element, francium was discovered by a French chemist, Marguerite Perey in 1939. The element was named in the country of its discovery – France. The discovery of francium completed humankind’s discoveries of naturally occurring elements. Francium is a heavy, unstable, radioactive metal with a maximum half-life of only 22 minutes. Francium is the second rarest element in the Earth’s crust. Less than thirty grams of francium exists on Earth at any given time. There are no commercial applications of francium because of its instability and rarity. It is used only for research in chemistry.
7. Tin
The atomic symbol of tin is Sn, which came from the Latin word “Stannum”. Its atomic number 50 and the atomic weight are 118.7. Tin is a silvery-white, crystalline, soft, malleable metal. Tin has two allotropic forms at normal pressure, gray tin and white tin. Pure white tin slowly tends to become the gray powder (gray tin) below 13.2 oC. It is used as a coating on the surface of other metals to prevent corrosion. ‘Tin’ cans, for example, are made of tin-coated steel. Alloys of tin are used in soft solder, pewter, bronze, and phosphor bronze. Tin chloride (stannous chloride, SnCl2) is used as a mordant in dyeing textiles. Stannous fluoride (SnF2) is used in some kinds of toothpaste.
8. Mercury
The atomic symbol of mercury is Hg. Its atomic number 80 and the atomic weight are 200.5. Mercury is a dense, silvery-white, poisonous metal with a mirror-like appearance. It is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature. Mercury is used in thermometers, barometers, and manometer, which are instruments for measuring the temperature, the pressure of gases and liquids. It forms alloys (amalgams) with metals that are made use of extracting gold, silver, and platinum from their ores. Mercury is widely used in making advertising signs, mercury switches, and mercury – vapor lamps. Some mercury compounds are used in medicine, dentistry, cosmetics (mascara), and in agriculture to make fungicides.
9. Bromine
The atomic symbol of bromine is Br. Its atomic number 35 and the atomic weight are 80. Bromine is a toxic, fuming red-brown liquid at room temperature with a sharp smell that evaporates readily to form a gas. The only non-metal element is liquid at room temperature. Its compounds are used in agricultural chemicals, dyestuffs, insecticides, pharmaceuticals, and chemical intermediates. Bromine compounds can be used as flame-retardants. They are added to furniture foam, plastic casings for electronics, and textiles to make them less flammable. Organobromides are used in fire extinguishers that are used to fight fires in places like museums, airplanes, and tanks. Silver bromide is used in photographic films.
10. Osmium
The atomic symbol of osmium is Os. Its atomic number 76 and the atomic weight are 190. English chemist, Smithson Tennant in 1803, discovered osmium. Osmium is a hard, shiny, brittle, bluish-white metal. Osmium is the densest naturally occurring element in the periodic table of elements with a density of 22.59 g/cm3. It is the rarest element in the Earth’s crust. The alloys of osmium with platinum and iridium are used in fountain pen tips, instrument pivots, needles, and electrical contacts. Osmium compounds are also used as a catalyst in the chemical industry.
