The Great 28 Elements

NotesBy Miss Cole

Hydrogen

• Most abundant element in the universe• Colorless, highly flammable gas• Hindenburg disaster (1937)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK4pycNHwg8

• Lightest gas

Helium

• Gas• Used in electric light bulbs and fluorescent

tubes• Helium balloons

Carbon

• Latin word “carbo” meaning “charcoal”• Makes: Graphite, diamond, fossil fuels,

petroleum, gasoline, CO2

• In all living things• Non-metal

Nitrogen

• Makes up 3/4 of air• Needed for plant

growth• Fertilizers• Rocket Fuel• Gunpowder

Oxygen• 21% of the atmosphere• Found in water and

most rocks/minerals• Combines with all

elements except inert gases

• Animals need it to live/breath

Sodium• Metallic• Reacts explosively with water

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92Mfric7JUc

• Found in salt• Symbol from latin “natrium” a salt found in

nature.

Magnesium

• Burns with a white flame• Solid• Second most common element • Abundant in nature• 8th most abundant in the Earth’s crust

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7rFtNMhG8Q

Aluminum

• Ductile- able to be shaped without breaking• Found in Earth’s crust but only mixed with

other elements• Makes cans/foil

Silicon• Found in Earth’s

crust• Silica/silicates• Glass, concrete,

bricks, pottery, old implants

Phosphorus

• Highly reactive• Poisonous• Solid• Allotropy- many forms,

same state (white, red, black)

• Pyrotechnics, bombs, fertilizers, detergents

Sulfur *correct spelling

• Pale yellow• Rotten egg smell• Fireworks• Batteries• Insecticides

Chlorine

• Green/yellow gas• Used to clean water,

bleaches• Mustard gas used in

WWIhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8DH0YtRQMc&list=PL5FD323B65AE6B02B

Potassium• Symbol “K” from Latin word “Kalium” (which means

potash)• Metal• Soaps• Found in foods and our body needs it. – Ex: bananas, white beans, spinach apricots, salmon

Calcium• Basic part of

most animals/plants

• Only found in living things

• Dairy products• Bones and

teeth do not form well without it

Chromium

• Steel-gray metallic element• Used to make stainless steel

Manganese

• Used in steel • Naturally magnetic

Iron • Atomic symbol from the word “Ferrum” which

means iron. • Rusts easily • Most used metal • Transports oxygen in the body (blood)

Cobalt

• From German word meaning “evil spirit” bc it was poisonous

• Makes blue glass• Ceramic pigments

Nickel

• Coins in the U.S/Canada• From german word “kupfernickel” meaning

“devil’s copper” because it looked valuable but is not copper

• Burglar-proof vaults

Copper • Reddish-brown color

metal• Conducts heat• Tubing, pipes, wires,

coins

• MALLEABLE- able to be shaped or bent

Zinc

• Bluish-white metal• Used to form many ALLOYS- mixture of metals• Treat rashes• gutters

Silver• Highest thermal and

electrical CONDUCTIVITY of metals (ability to pass something on)

• Latin word “argentum” meaning silver

• Jewelry, silverware,fancy serving dishes

Tin• Coats other metals to prevent

corrosion• Latin word “stannum” for tin • Coats steel cans

Iodine

• Medical tracer• Dyes• Table salt (iodized salt)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NxvP0B1h9M

Gold

• Latin word “Aurum” meaning gold• Most malleable and ductile metal• Precious metal currency, coins, jewelry, and

electronics

Mercury • Silvery poisonous metallic

liquid at room temperature• Hg from Greek for that

means water and silver• Used in old thermometers• Mercury poisoning

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzgHr5BE4TU

Lead• Latin “plumbum”

means lead• Plumbing, solder,

shielding from radiation

• Found in ORE-rocks mined because they contain minerals

• Poisoning from old paint

Uranium • RADIOACTIVE- sends out high energy radiation

from a nuclear reaction. • Nuclear fuels• Nuclear weapons

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIbACkLU-38