What is the coolest element

Strontium is a metal found chiefly in its raw sources, the celestine or celestite and the strontianite, both of which are in crystaline form. This metal can be derived in two ways. One, through electrolysis which consists of a fusion of chloride and potassium chloride. Another is through reduction of strontium oxide with aluminum in a vacuum under temperatures conducive to dissolving strontium.

When freshly cut, strontium has a silvery appearance. But since it is easily exposed to oxidation, strontium quickly turns yellowish. It even ignites by itself through air alone. Volatile strontium salts feature a beautiful crimson color before going into flames.

Zirconium has a lot of uses especially when corrosive agents are involved. This element is used in alloying steel, in vacuum tubes, lamp filaments, photoflash bulbs, and so much more. It is also used in poison-ivy lotions as a form of carbonate.

Zirconium , of course, is also the primary component in the gemstone zircon. One of the most common metals on the planet, from soda cans to roofings to kitchen utensils, and thousands more when a strong and light construction material is necessary. In its pure form, aluminum is actually soft and lacking strength, so it needs alloy from other elements such as copper, magnesium or manganese to make it strong and more useful. Badass power ranking : Steve McQueen getting a prison tattoo.

Badass power ranking: That high school bully who took your lunch and made you cry. Badass power ranking : 11, like Chuck Norris with a hangnail. Ranking : Always carries nunchucks.

Badass power ranking : 9. Chlorine has never cried, ever. Badass power ranking: 8, like a shot of ghost pepper-flavored whiskey.

Badass power ranking : 7. Go ahead and make bromine's day. Badass power ranking: 6, like a sleek motorcycle backing you into God's garage. Flickr: bionerd. Badass powering ranking : 4, since arsenic actually played Ryan Gosling in Drive. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email.

Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph. Chemistry Expert. Helmenstine holds a Ph. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels. Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter. Updated November 26, Featured Video. Cite this Article Format. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph. What Is the Coolest Element?

Liquid Elements on the Periodic Table. Sulfuric Acid and Sugar Demonstration. Chemical Element Pictures - Photo Gallery. Plutonium Facts Pu or Atomic Number Donna Nelson is a chemistry professor at the University of Oklahoma. She has also served as a science advisor to the television show " Breaking Bad. Why is this your favorite element? First, carbon is central to my research and teaching. My research group developed an analysis of groups [of atoms] attached to single-walled carbon nanotubes, which reveals how each group interacts with the tube.

These carbon nanotubes are extremely strong and will benefit our society by being mixed with and thereby strengthening materials such as polymers. Second, I teach organic chemistry, which is the chemistry of carbon.

I am determined to make it truly easier for students, which I am slowly accomplishing. Third, I helped with Walter White's high school teaching scene about the importance of Carbon, which started out 'Alkenes, diolefins, polyenes, the nomenclature alone is enough to make your head spin. Preston MacDougall is a professor and assistant chair in the department of chemistry at Middle Tennessee State University. It also helps them remember that, unlike fluorine, phosphorus begins with the letter P.

JaimeLee Iolani Rizzo is the assistant chair in the department of chemistry and physical science at Pace University. Credentials: Steve Maguire is the video winner of the Flame Challenge , sponsored by the Alan Alda Center For Communicating Science, and also the creator and host of "Science Isn't Scary," a webseries dedicated to explaining everyday science to a general audience.

Instead, I will go with boron: it's used in borax soap anyone remember Twenty Mule Team brand? It's also found in a compound called ammoniaborane, which shows great promise for storing hydrogen as a fuel of the future. Credentials: Laura Pence is an award-winning chemistry professor at the University of Hartford and recently spent a year in the U.

Senate as a Congressional Science Policy Fellow. Just small amounts of platinum in the catalytic converters in cars can reduce emission of pollutants that contribute to making smog. He has over 25 years experience testing components used in ammunition items for the U.

He is also an adjunct chemistry professor at Jackson State Community College. In pure oxygen, every spark could become a raging inferno! Nitrogen normally exists as a pair of atoms strongly bound to each other. This strong bond leads to the reason nitrogen is my favorite. I work with military explosives which contain a lot of nitrogen. When detonated, explosives like TNT transform into carbon dioxide, water, and nitrogen.

Nitrogen keeps us safe and makes life better. Credentials: Doris Lewis is a chemistry professor at Suffolk University. She is also a councilor at the American Chemical Society. Titanium oxide is the sunscreen in my favorite moisturizer and it gives a nice smooth look — not surprising because it is used in house paint , the more the better!

He has a Ph. D in nuclear chemistry from University of California, Berkeley and spent 13 years at Oak Ridge National Laboratory before moving into commercial radiopharmaceutical development. In its pure elemental state it can take a variety of forms, from unstructured charcoal powder used for purification filters, to graphite used for pencils and lubrication, amazing single-atom thick graphene sheets and spherical bucky-balls, and the beautiful translucent diamond crystal.