Gallium
Comes from the latin word "Gallia", meaning France
Common Facts
Gallium's chemical name is Ga. Its atomic mass is 69.72, and its atomic number is 31. It has 31 protons, 31 electrons, and 39 neutrons. Gallium's freezing point is -19 degrees Celsius, which is -2 degrees Fahrenheit. It has a melting point of 29.76 degrees Celsius (85.57 degrees Fahrenheit) which is why it melts if left at room temperature. It is a transition metal, solid at room temperature.
History of Gallium
Gallium was discovered by Paul-Emile Lecoq de Boisbaudran in France during the year 1875. He extracted gallium from a zinc blend ore in the Pyrenees, finding only 0.65 grams of gallium in 430 kilograms of ore. De Boisbaudran isolated Gallium by electrolysis of its hydroxide in its potassium hydroxide solution.
Characteristics
appearence
Gallium has a silvery-white appearance. Also, this metal shares an unusual trait with water; it expands as it freezes
metallic properties
The metallic properties of Gallium are not very obvious. It is brittle while a solid, and is a poorer conductor of electricity than lead.
unique features
Another unique feature of Gallium is that it fractures conchoidally, which means "like a shell". The surfaces are curved like a shell.
Use and proccess of discovery
Low melting alloys of Gallium are used in many thermometers (usually medical) as a non-toxic substitute for mercury. Gallium arsenide is a semiconducting production used for laser and light emitting diodes, as well as solar panels. Gallium is also used to create mirrors. It is found through the product of mining and processing other metals, notably aluminum, copper, and zinc.
Abundance and Cost
Abundance of Gallium on earth's crust is 5.5 per million by moles. The abundance of it in the solar system is 0.6 parts per billion by moles. The cost of pure gallium is $220 for 100g.