Beryllium
Maria Duijndam 8a
What is Beryllium?
Beryllium is a very light, but very strong metal. The element's atomic number is 4 and it's atomic weight is 9.012182. In 1798, Louis-Nicholas Vauquelin discovered that there was an unknown element that existed emeralds and beryl. Friedrich Wölher and Antoine Bussy managed to separate the element from the minerals in 1828. Today, we get Beryllium from beryl and bertrandite.
What is Beryllium used for?
Beryllium is used as a structural material for missiles, spacecraft, communication satellites, cell phones and aircraft. It is also used in windshield frames, brake discs, support beams and other parts of a space shuttle. Beryllium is used as a reflector inside nuclear reactors as well. The element is also utilized in instruments that require lightness, stiffness and dimensional stability.