Beryllium
Beryllium is in group 2 of the periodic table, so it is an alkaline earth metal. It is grayish (slightly gray) in color. It has an atomic number of 4 and is symbolized by the letters Be. It is toxic and should not be handled without proper training.
Beryllium has 4 electrons, 4 protons, and 5 neutrons.
Beryllium has one of the highest melting points of the light metals: 1560 K (1287 °C). It is added to other metals to make stronger alloys. Beryllium-copper alloy is used in tools because it does not make sparks.
At standard temperature and pressure, beryllium resists oxidation when exposed to oxygen.
Beryllium is best known for the chemical compounds it forms. Beryllium combines with aluminium, silicon and oxygen to make a mineral called beryl. Emerald and aquamarine are two varieties of beryl which are used as gemstones in jewelry.
Since it has a very high stiffness to weight ratio, beryllium is used to make the diaphragms in some high-end speakers.
Uses
Beryllium is used to make jet aircrafts, guided missiles, spacecraft, and satellites, including the James Webb telescope.[6][7] Beryllium can reflect neutrons, and thin foils of beryllium are sometimes used in nuclear weapons as the outer layer of the plutonium pits.[8] Beryllium is also used in fuel rods for CANDU reactors. Beryllium is used to make many dental alloys.[6][7]
Rarity
It is a relatively rare element in the universe. It usually occurs when larger atomic nuclei have split up. In stars, beryllium is depleted because it is fused and builds larger elements.
Beryllium Media
Plot showing variations in solar activity, including variation in sunspot number (red) and 10Be concentration (blue). Note that the beryllium scale is inverted, so increases on this scale indicate lower 10Be levels
Beryllium ore with a US penny for scale
- Beacetate.png
Schematic structure of basic beryllium acetate
- BeHydrolysis.png
Beryllium hydrolysis. Water molecules attached to Be are omitted in this diagram
- Be3OHW6.svg
Structure of the trimeric hydrolysis product of beryllium(II)
- Louis Nicolas Vauquelin.jpg
Louis-Nicolas Vauquelin discovered beryllium
- Friedrich Wöhler Stich.jpg
Friedrich Wöhler was one of the men who independently isolated beryllium
- Beryllium target.jpg
Beryllium target which converts a proton beam into a neutron beam
Related pages
References
- ↑ Meija, J.; Coplen, T. B.; Berglund, M.; Brand, W.A.; De Bièvre, P.; Gröning, M.; Holden, N.E.; Irrgeher, J.; Loss, R.D.; Walczyk, T.; Prohaska, T. (2016). "Atomic weights of the elements 2013 (IUPAC Technical Report)". Pure and Applied Chemistry. 88 (3): 265–91. doi:10.1515/pac-2015-0305.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|displayauthors=ignored (|display-authors=suggested) (help) - ↑ "Beryllium: Beryllium(I) Hydride compound data" (PDF). bernath.uwaterloo.ca. Retrieved 2007-12-10. }}
- ↑ Haynes, William M., ed. (2011). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (92nd ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. p. 14.48. ISBN 1439855110.
- ↑ Weast, Robert (1984). CRC, Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. Boca Raton, Florida: Chemical Rubber Company Publishing. pp. E110. ISBN 0-8493-0464-4.
- ↑ "Beryllium: Beryllium(I) Hydride compound data" (PDF). bernath.uwaterloo.ca. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Metals handbook. Davis, J. R. (Joseph R.), ASM International. Handbook Committee. (Desk ed., 2nd ed.). Materials Park, Oh.: ASM International. 1998. ISBN 0-87170-654-7. OCLC 40452949.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ↑ 7.0 7.1 Schwartz, Mel M. (2002). Encyclopedia of materials, parts, and finishes (2nd ed.). Boca Raton: CRC Press. ISBN 1-56676-661-3. OCLC 48907078.
- ↑ Barnaby, Frank. (1993). How nuclear weapons spread : nuclear-weapon proliferation in the 1990s. London: Routledge. ISBN 0-203-16832-1. OCLC 252789074.
