Wanted: The Element Germanium
named after Germany, homeland of its discovery // $130 award
Basic Identification Facts
Symbol: Ge
Atomic Number: 32
Atomic Mass: 72.61 amu
# of Electrons/Protons: 32
# of Neutrons: 41
Classified as a: Metalloid
Colour: Light Grey
Room Temp: Solid
Family: Carbon Group
Found Where: Mines
information that may help you find it
It is not known to be harmful. If you come across it, don't be afraid to come into contact with it (don't eat it, though!). In cold conditions, it will expand, and at room temperature, it is a solid. Keep a lookout for this. Germanium goes by a few other names: neptunium, and Germania (Latin word, origin of name). Organic Germanium is found in some plants. Inorganic Germanium is mined and used mostly as a semiconductor in electronics.
background
First arresting officer: Clemens A. Winkler was the son of a chemist. He was an elected person of the Royal Swedish Academy in 1892. In 1902, he died at the age of 66 in Dresden, Germany, from carcinoma.
Report of first arrest: Clemens A. Winkler found it in 1886 (Germany) while looking at a mineral sample (argyrodite) from a silver mine (Himmelsfürst). After months of analysing it, he finally published his discovery out to the world in 1886, but only after isolating the germanium he had found.
Known associates: It reacts to silicon a little bit, and with oxygen to form germanium dioxide. It is not very reactive with water, either. Overall it is not a reactive guy, so don't expect to find it by asking others about its whereabouts.