By Jibrail Cheema
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Compounds of Sodium have been known since Ancient
times. However it was first discovered/extracted from
caustic soda in 1807 by the same person who first extracted
Calcium, Sir Humphrey Davy . To extract sodium, the same
electrolysis method is used on molten sodium.
Sodium is a highly reactive soft, silvery-white metal. It’s
melting point is only 97.72 C and the boiling point is 882.8 C.
Sodium compounds are used a lot in everyday life. Sodium
Fluoride is used in toothpaste to help protect and whiten
our teeth. Finally, Sodium Hydroxide is used in the
production of soaps and paper.
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Although calcium was known since Roman times as a
component of lime, it was only first separated in 1808
by an Englishman, Sir Humphrey Davy. He used
electrolysis to extract Calcium and that is still the
method used for extraction. It is the method of melting
down the compound that includes Calcium, then an
electrical current is passed through the molten
compound, which releases pure calcium.
Calcium is a soft gray alkaline earth metal. It is very
reactive which is why it is never found on its own, it
has to be extracted from a compound. Its melting point
being 842 C and its boiling point 1484 C.
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No one knows who discovered it, though its existence has
been known for many years. Iron is extracted from Iron Ore
when Iron Ore is mixed with coking coal and limestone, then
heated in a blast furnace. The coke burns in a forced stream of
preheated air and reduces the Iron Ore to just Iron.
Iron is a strong solid with a high melting point, 1538 C, and a
boiling point of 2,862 C. Today iron is used for many things
everything. It is used in construction and for everyday tools
like cutlery it is also used for transportation vehicles.
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Potassium was also discovered by Sir Humphrey Davy in
1807. It is also extracted using the same method that Sir
Humphrey used for Calcium and Sodium, which is
electrolysis.
Potassium is a soft silver-white alkali metal that is highly
reactive. It has a very low melting point which is 63.38 C,
though its boiling point is 758.8 C.
Almost all of the potassium in the world is used in
fertilizers. As potassium ions are a vital part of plant
nutrition, crops and trees must be grown in soil with high
amounts of potassium ions. A salt containing potassium is
the main component in baking powder.
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The discovery of gold is also unknown, it has been public
since ancient times. These days gold is extracted from Gold
Ore in difficult ways. First it is broken down into pieces as
small as road gravel. Then a solution of cyanide is dipped
over a pile of gold ore. The solution dissolves the gold out of
rocks and can then be separated from the solution. This
process is known as cyanide leaching.
Gold is also a really strong solid which is really hard to
destroy, with its melting point being 1,064 C and it’s boiling
point 2,856 C. Over the centuries it has been used for coins,
jewelry and now it is even used as a medical cure for some
sicknesses.
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Although the origin of Silver is unclear, many
people believe Silver was discovered long ago
in 5632 by Artaxias Fortunas. Silver is extracted
from its ore by chemical leaching or smelting.
Silver is a rare and expensive white transitionmetal. It is a little harder than gold but also
very ductile and malleable. It’s melting point is
962 C and it’s boiling point 2,163 C. Silver is
used for many important things. It is used to
create currency, jewelry, photography,
electronics, mirrors.
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Yttrium was discovered in 1789 by a Finnish
Scientist Johan Gadolin. Today it is extracted
through an ion exchange process from monazite
sand, a material rich in rare earth elements.
Yttrium is a silvery-metallic metal that is never
found in nature as a free element, it is always
found combined with other elements. It’s melting
point is 1,522 C and the boiling point is 3,338 C.
Yttrium has some uses in everyday life, it is used
in TV screens, producing the red color.
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Lithium was discovered in 1817 by Johan
Arfvedson, however it was extracted by William
Thomas Brande and Sir Humphrey Davy through
the electrolysis method of Lithium Oxide.
Lithium is a soft silver-white metal, it is the
lightest metal and the least dense solid element. It
belongs to the Alkali metal group of chemical
elements. It’s melting point is pretty low at 180.6 C
and it’s boiling point 1,342 C.
Lithium is a popular element used for medical
treatments, specially mental illnesses and blood
disorders.
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Tungsten was discovered in in 1781 by two Spanish
chemist brothers named Juan José and Fausto Elhuyar.
The method of extraction was also developed by these
two. The ore that contains tungsten is crushed, clean
and then treated with various alkalis so that tungsten
trioxide is formed. The tungsten trioxide is then heated
using either carbon or hydrogen gas, which then
separates the tungsten metal from the compound.
Tungsten is a rare , hard metal which is naturally only
found in chemical compounds. It is the element with
the highest melting point which is 3,422 C, and the
boiling point 5,552. Also because of its extremely high
melting point, it is used in high-temperature items
such as a light bulb, vacuum tube, and rocket engines.
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Platinum was discovered in 1557 by Julius Caesar
Scaliger. The extraction of platinum also involves
smelting, for Platinum it has to be really hightemperature smelting. This decomposes the other
elements and leaves the Platinum behind. After
that there has to also be electrolysis to remove
nickel, copper and cobalt.
Platinum is a dense, malleable, ductile, grey-white
transitional metal. It is one of the rarest elements in
the world and is the least reactive metal. Its
melting point is quite high at 1,768 C and its
boiling point is 3825 C.
Platinum is used in jewelry, decoration and dental
work.
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