13- Elements of Money
By: Danielle Coffey
The Basics of Chapter 13:
Zinc(Zn)
Atomic Mass- 65.37
Period- 4
Group- 12
Electron Configuration- 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10
Element Classification- Transition Metal
Zinc is naturally found in our bodies, earth, and air. Zinc is important in our bodies because it boost the immune system, helps cells grow, and is a natural insect repellent/sunscreen. Andreas Marggraf first found the element in Europe in 1746. Zinc got its name from the German word "zinke" meaning pointed because when the sharp-pointed crystals formed after being smelted.
Gold(Au)
Atomic Mass- 196.967
Period- 6
Group- 11
Electron Configuration- 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 5d10 6s1
Element Classification- Transition Metal
Gold is found pretty much everywhere but the richest gold field is Witwatersrand Basin in South America. The main use of gold was for economic purposes and most of the worlds economy is backed up with it. Another benefit of gold is that it is also used to help cure rheumatoid arthritis. The use of gold dates back to 3000 B.C. and the word gold comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for metal.
Europium(Eu)
Atomic Mass- 151.964
Period- 6
Group- Lanthanides
Electron Configuration- 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f7 5d0 6s2
Element Classification- Lanthanide
Since Europium isn't a common element, it was only spectroscopically found in the sun and in certain stars. Europiums was once used as a laser metal, but that usage has since died down. Eugene-Anatole Demarcay found the element in 1901 in Europe. He discovered it by seperating crystallisations of samarium magnesium nitrate. Europium was just named after Europe, since it was created there.
Europium is a metal that is silvery-white in color.
Tellurium(Te)
Atomic Mass- 127.603
Period- 5
Group- 16
Electron Configuration- 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p4
Element Classification- Metalloid
Tellurium is found in its natural state, but it is most commonly found as the telluride of gold, calaverite. You can find it in the United States, Peru, Japan, and Canada. Tellurium is used to decrease lead corrosion, is the main material in blasting caps, and is used in ceramics. It was first found in 1783 in Sibiu, Romania by Franz-Joseph Muller Von Reichenstein. The word 'Tellurium' came from "tellus" which is the Latin word for Earth.
Aluminum(Al)
Atomic Mass- 26.982
Period- 3
Group- 13
Electron Configuration- 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p1
Element Classification- Other Metal
Most of Aluminum is found in the Earth's crust and it is the number one element found in the Earth's crust. Aluminum can also be produced from clay, and can be found in granite or other common minerals, just not in nature alone. The many uses aluminum has speaks for its importance. It is used in kitchen utensils, power lines, soda cans, and to coat toys, packages, etc. Hans Oersted was the first to discover it in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1825. The element name came from a Latin word "alumen" meaning bitter salt.
Overview:
Sources
Lenntech. (2016). Elements. Retrieved from http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/index.htm
Straka, J. (2016). Periodic Table. Retrieved from http://www.tabulka.cz/english/
Los Alamos National Security. (2016). Periodic Table of Elements. Retrieved from http://periodic.lanl.gov/list.shtml
Royal Society of Chemistry. (2016). Periodic Table. Retrieved from http://www.rsc.org/periodic-table