Calcium the Element
A look inside the life of an element
Basic Information
Atomic Number: 20
Electron: 20
Protons: 20
Neutrons: 20
Charge: +2
Density: 1.54 g/cm3
Phase at Room Temperature: Solid
Element Classification: Metal
Period Number: 4
Group Number: 2
Group Name: Alkaline Earth Metals
Number of stable isotopes: 6
Properties
PHYSICAL
Color: Silvery-white metalPhase: Solid
Hardness: Relatively soft metal
Crystalline Structure: Cubic
Ductility: Calcium can be beaten into extremely thin sheets, it can be pressed, rolled, and cut
Malleability: Capable of being shaped or bent
Melting Point: 851 degrees
Boiling Point: 1482 degrees
CHEMICAL
Flammability: When heated in air or oxygen it ignites
Reacts with water: Reacts with cold water rapidly at first, but the reaction is then slowed due to the formation of calcium hydroxide
Reacts with acids: Highly reactive
Compounds (uses)
- when heated and added to water Calcium Carbonate forms slaked lime which is used throughout the chemistry industry
- chalk, marble, lime stone are forms of Calcium Carbonate
- used to make white paint, cleaning powder, tooth paste, and stomach antacids
CALCIUM SULFATE:
- drywall and plaster
- plasters for broken limbs
CALCIUM NITRATE:
- naturally occurring in fertilizer
CALCIUM PHOSPHATE:
- main material found in bones and teeth
Plaster- Calcium Sulfate
Antacids-Calcium Carbonate
Toothpaste- Calcium Carbonate
Uses
- refines elements
- forms alloys
- removes elements from certain alloys
- calcium is used in vacuum tubes to remove traces of gas form the tubes
Facts
- 5th most abundant element in the earth's core
- never found free in nature because it easily forms compounds by reacting with oxygen and water
- discovered by Humphry Davis in 1808
- used to create the orange color in fire works
- makes up 3.22% of the earth, air, and oceans
- humans contain about 1 kg of calcium in their body