Favorite Element

[Mercedes Benzene]

What is your favorite element?

Why is it your favorite element?

What special properties does it possess?

 

I just wanted to create a place where hypography users can easily learn about the elements while sharing information about their favorites.

Please feel free to post as much as you wish (one element per post please).

 

 

I'll periodically (no pun intended) post some of my favorites (since I have so many). Enjoy:

[Jay-qu]

I have always been a fan of carbon, its very diverse in its natural form, ie can be a lump of coal, graphite and diamond :shrug:

[Turtle]

I have always been a fan of carbon, its very diverse in its natural form, ie can be a lump of coal, graphite and diamond :doh:

Don't forget the fourth form of carbon, fullerenes.:hihi:

 

Today my favorite element is Gold. I like it because it is one of the densest metals, it is one of the least chemically reactive metals, it occurs freely in nature, it is remarkably ductile, it is one of the first metals human used, it is shiny, it is precious, and it is the name of a color.:shrug:

[Chemnut]

My favorite is Hydrogen.

 

Hydrogen is the only element with isotopes named like elements. It is the only element where the nucleus may take part in chemical reactions. It has no neutrons (protium), has the greatest mass ratio differences between the isotopes (deuterium and tritium). It is essential for life, bonds covalently and ionically, is found in most everything organic and inorganic and for being one of the simplest elements, it probably has the most literature written about it, its compounds and its reactions and interactions than any other element.

[munch]

Although I'm a fan of carbon and oxygen, I'd have to say helium is my favorite. It's stable as a noble gas, and helium-5 is able to provide extra energy in fusion reactions. Unless there's something I don't know about hydrogen, it's the smallest fissible element. It's the only element that's both a source and form of radiation (beta from He-5 ==> He-4, and alpha without electrons.) Plus you can inhale it to make your voice (and oboes, as I've heard) sound strange. I dare you to try that with carbon. :)

 

And by the way, I think you can find trace amounts of fullerenes in coal, so Jay-Qu wasn't totally off.

[Mercedes Benzene]

I'd have to say helium is my favorite.

 

Also, Helium displays some magnificant characteristics when chilled below its lambda point.

Do some research on "Helium II". Amazing.

[ronthepon]

Hydrogen. Lightest element present.

Very important component of life... hydrocarbon component.

It's positive ion, (the proton) is the most mobile ion... well... possible.

 

Similar to alkali metals and halogens... the two opposing forces in the periodic table.

 

Designated as the standard electrode potential marker, in the reduction and oxidation potential series.

 

It's oxide is 'water', an excellent chemical.

 

(one element per post please)

[ronthepon]

Nitrogen.

 

In diatomic state has a bond order of three, and a dissociation energy above 900KJmol-1. Inert like you want it.

 

~70% component of the air we live in.

 

Component of nitrous oxide. Guess why I like that.

 

Central atom of the amino group, which happens to the little thing making amino acids (protein constituents) the things they are.

 

etc. etc. etc.....

 

PS: Reminds me of 'yellow' for some reason.

[Chacmool]

Lithium. It has some interesting properties, such as being highly flammable and slightly explosive when exposed to air and especially water. This metal is the lightest solid element and is soft enough to cut with a knife.

 

It is my favourite because of its application in psychiatric medicine. Lithium is administered in a number of chemical salts of lithium, which are used primarily in the treatment of bipolar disorder as mood stabilising drugs.

 

"I'm so happy 'cause today I've found my friends. They're in my head." - Lithium by Nirvana

[ronthepon]

It has some interesting properties, such as being highly flammable and slightly explosive when exposed to air and especially water. This metal is the lightest solid element and is soft enough to cut with a knife.

Just like the other Alkali Metals.

 

It is also the lightest metal and component of the new lithium ion batteries.

[Mercedes Benzene]

Let me first say how hard it is to choose a favorite element. I love all of them.

 

I have, however, always been a fan of the so-called "platinum group" metals.

One of my favorites is Iridium.

 

Iridium:

Atomic Number: 77

Atomic Mass: 192.217

Group 9, Period 6

 

Iridium is the most corrosion-resistant metal known.

It has the second-highest known density (although this is often argued with that of Osmium, since it is very difficult to determine the actual density of these two.)

It is unnafected by water, air and acids (including aqua regia :) ).

It will only dissolve in 2 substances: molten sodium cyanide and potassium cyanide.

Iridium salts are often brightly colored (which gives it its name): Iridium --> Iris in Latin means rainbow.

[GAHD]

I'm thinking, Radium

[IDMclean]

My favorite would have to be Iron. It's like the most stable element their is (I think, it's what I heard.) and it tends to exhibit the wonderful magical effects of magnetism, expecially in combo with Neodymium, another of my favorites.

 

I had heard one can form a alloy of steel and titanium using Neodymium as a connector of sorts, strong, flexible metal. Know anything about it?

 

Anyway, Iron is one of the major components for human society, forming all kinds of useful things, from the silver ware we use, to the blood in our system. Thermite, Magnets, and much more. I think we will find allot more with this element than we currently know. It and Neodymium.

[Mercedes Benzene]

My favorite would have to be Iron. It's like the most stable element their is (I think, it's what I heard.)

I believe that it has the most tightly bound nucleus of all nuclei... I think this means that you can't get any more energy out of it by fusing it with other atoms. This is why it's the heaviest atom produceable by our sun! Iron is rather spectacular.

[ronthepon]

I'm thinking, Radium

Rather interesting material... very radioactive, very very radioactive... costs one hell of a lot mass-wise.

 

Produces a more dangerous form post fission, Radon. Also gives helium nucleus... two noble gas thingys in all.

 

I've heard that the Curies used to invite their guests to look at it with their eyes closed. (note that I say 'heard')

 

Basically if you like nuclear chemistry more.........

[Mercedes Benzene]

Basically if you like nuclear chemistry more.........

 

:lol: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper:

[Mercedes Benzene]

I dismantled a smoke alarm the other day. Oops. Maybe I shouldn't have said that. :hyper:

Well anyway, now I have 1 microcurie of Americium 241.

...or maybe I don't. It depends who's asking.

:lol:

 

Anyway, Americium is another one of my favorite elements... even though it does not possess any spectacular characteristics.

Here's something that I read in a book though: The discoverers of Americium announced its discovery on a children's radio talk show in 1945!

I find that funny. :hyper: