Interesting facts about different metals. Interesting facts about metals and their alloys

Transcript

1 QUIZ INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT METALS AND ALLOYS 1) In ancient times, Norwegian smelters often got poisoned while smelting ore. They explained this by the machinations of an evil spirit. In fact, the culprit was poisonous arsenic oxides released during the firing of minerals. The metal obtained from this mineral was named after the evil Norwegian mountain spirit.

2 2) Another metal is named after a mythical spirit. German miners in ancient times were plagued by an evil spirit that prevented them from extracting copper from ore that was very similar to copper. Later, in the 18th century, they learned to extract metal from this ore. He was named after an evil spirit.

3 3) For centuries, this metal was considered the most expensive. For a long time, alchemists did not stop trying to obtain it from various components. Luck smiled on the researchers in 1941. To do this, the Americans Bainbridge, Sherr and Andersen had to bombard mercury atoms with fast neutrons. They received this metal, but it turned out to be radioactive.

4 Humanity has produced 165 thousand tons of gold throughout its history. Interestingly, half of this gold was received in South Africa. If all the mined gold is cast into one ingot in the form of a cube, its side will be 20 meters. Rating of gold-producing countries

5 4) Of all the devices that decorated the dining table of Napoleon III, the most expensive were made of a new and rare metal in those days. At ceremonial dinners, these cutlery were served only to the emperor and his most honored guests. The other participants in the feast had to be content with devices made of the usual gold and silver.

6 5) Sea water contains the entire periodic table in a dissolved state, uranium and gold are present there. Modern technologies make it possible to extract on an industrial scale from sea water only four useful substances: fresh water, table salt, bromine and this metal, which, due to its ability to ignite easily, is used in rocket fuels.

7 6) In the 17th century in South America, this metal was considered “fake silver.” To prevent counterfeiting, “fake” coins from it were drowned in rivers, lakes and the ocean. Now this metal costs 100 times more than silver. The largest currently existing nugget of this metal is the “Ural Giant” weighing 7 kg 860.5 g. It is stored in the Diamond Fund of the Moscow Kremlin.

8 7) It is the most common metal in the earth's crust. The depths of the earth contain 8% of it, while gold contains only 5 millionths of a percent. However, people did not know it for a long time; the first ingot was smelted in France only in 1885, and this metal was then more expensive than gold and platinum.

9 8) This metal easily destroys the surface film of aluminum oxide, without which aluminum quickly oxidizes in air. That is why it cannot be transported on airplanes: if it spills on an airplane, it can make a hole in the fuselage and the airplane will depressurize.

10 9) This metal is the least dangerous for the environment. It can even be used to make shotgun pellets to replace toxic lead. In the Middle Ages, it was often used by alchemists during experiments. The Incas used it in the process of making edged weapons; such swords were particularly beautiful, and their shine was caused by rainbow oxidation, which was a consequence of the formation of a thin oxide film on the surface of the metal.

11 10) This is the most expensive artificially created metal. Cost: $ per 1 gram. It was obtained in 1950 at the University of California. This metal is extracted from the products of long-term irradiation of plutonium with neutrons in a nuclear reactor. This metal is truly rare: only a few tens of milligrams are produced per year. It is used as a powerful source of neutrons in neutron activation analysis and in radiation therapy of tumors.

12 11) The most refractory metal boils at a temperature of 5900 C, and begins to melt at 3380 C. This is one of the heaviest and hardest metals. Electrodes for argon arc welding are made from it. Its name translated from German sounds like “wolf foam”.

13 12) This metal is the hardest of pure metals (containing no impurities). There is a lot of it in the earth's crust. It is the most common alloying additive for steels. If its content in steel is more than 12.5%, then the steel becomes corrosion-resistant.

14 13) This noble metal is considered the most expensive metal that exists in nature. This is a very beautiful metal, shiny, silver, and has strong reflective properties. It is used in the automotive industry in the production of mirrors and headlights. This metal costs $225 per gram.

15 14) What is the monument to Peter 1 “Bronze Horseman” made of, standing on Senate Square in St. Petersburg.

16 15) This metal melts if you put it on your palm. Its melting point is 29.8 C. It is used to create the lowest melting alloys. It is also used to make thermometers that operate up to a temperature of 1200 C, because this metal has a wide temperature range for the existence of the liquid state: from 29.8 to 2230 C.

17 16) To make the Monument to the Defenders of Smolensk 4 August 5, 1812, its author needed 30 tons of this alloy.

18 17) The monument to Yuri Gagarin in Moscow is made of space metal. Which one?

19 Proverbs and sayings A person’s memory is erased like a coin. Around the copper turns yellow, around the good person and the bad it becomes better. I can get in everywhere like a penny. He went through fire, water and pipes, got caught in the devil's teeth and then came out. It is strong, like a sword that rusts without use, stagnant water rots, and a person’s mind, finding no use for itself, withers in the fire, and a person is learned through work. Sip while it's hot. A peace of straw is better than a fight. Word, but silence Not all that glitters. A real person is as strong as a truthful word and will break through.

20 Riddles It is not given to everyone to be a symbol, But it is not without a reason that my name was given to hands, rain, calf, fleece, Section and opinions, the middle. And even a century was named after me, When a person was very happy. What's in my name now? And in the old days, everyone thought that I was the king of metals. I don’t rust from the rain, I don’t break, I don’t darken. She is strong like a diamond in battle, flexible like a vine. If I steel myself strongly, I will never give up. I will saw wood, cut fabric, drill metal, I will learn everything freely! I can do everything, I’m suitable for everything - For the pedal and for the squeak, For the tablet and for the medal. That's my moral! Next is my autograph:... He goes to frying pans and patterned lattices, He is very, very awkward, Ill-mannered and unforged, He breaks like ice And is heavy like a hippopotamus. But not a liar or a chatterbox Our hard worker -... I go for a small coin, I like to ring bells, They erect a monument to me for this and they know: my name is...

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Since time immemorial, humanity has used metals. During the period of existence, people learned to mine, melt and use amazing minerals. Over time, the process was improved and metal alloys appeared, their scope of application expanded beyond impossibility.

Today, you probably won’t find a place where metal products and structures made from them are not used. Interesting facts about metals indicate the demand for elements during the stages of human existence.

Silver is the oldest fossil. During excavations, archaeologists discovered silver items that had lain in the soil for 6,000 years. Early finds were found in the countries of Ancient Mesopotamia and in Egypt. Historians have proven that ancient coins were made from this metal.

Facts about metals indicate:

• Silver is one of the metals that are extremely rare on our planet. Under natural conditions, the element occurs in the form of nuggets or is part of other compounds. The giant nugget was found in northern Chile. The plate weighed 1420 kg. The element is found in meteorites and is part of sea water. Astrologers call silver the metal of the moon. Ancient manuscripts indicate the lunar origin of the metal: images of silver in the form of a lunar crescent or a woman-Moon indicate the cosmic origin of the fossil.

• India is a country of large silver reserves. In this area, metal is considered folk. Indigenous people believe in the miraculous power of the element: the metal is so popular that it is even used for cooking.
• Silver is popular in industry. It is used in the manufacture of electronics - almost every device contains this metal.

• Silver has antibacterial properties. For example, metal purified water is widely used. American discoverers went further: by placing a silver coin in a jug of milk, they extended its freshness by three days. For the first time, its antiseptic properties were learned in Egypt: 4,000 years ago, people used the elements of silver to treat wounds and cuts. It is not surprising that ancient warriors always carried a silver plate with them and, when wounded, applied it to the affected area: it was believed that with the help of the product it was possible to stop bleeding and prevent infection of the wound. Today, the use of silver in medicine is still developing rapidly.
• Surprisingly, in Japan, metal is used not only for treatment, but also to purify the air: this is how the Japanese fight air pollution on the continent.

Gold is a metal revered since ancient times

Gold is a majestic metal that has been revered since ancient times. Thanks to its characteristics, gold has become an object of desire for cultures and peoples.

Features of the precious metal:

• It is extremely rare. For example, on the planet, in 1 hour, 4 times more steel is smelted than yellow metal was mined during the existence of mankind.

• There are 10 billion tons of precious minerals “hidden” in the world’s oceans. But gold is found on all continents of the globe. Mining of the precious metal is booming: it is believed that more than 80% of the fossil is still in the ground.
• Gold melts perfectly: the melting point is 1064.43 degrees. The element has high conductivity of heat and electrical energy and is not subject to corrosion. The first gold items found by archaeologists have retained their original beauty.

• Peoples use gold in the cooking process. For example, the population of Ancient India believed that the use of metal revealed levitation capabilities; in Asia it was used as a seasoning for desserts and added to drinks. Since the 16th century, gold leaf has been placed in expensive strong drinks: Goldschlager, Danziger Goldwasser. This is indicated not only by facts about metals, but also by corked bottles.
• In Australia in 1869, gold miners discovered a leader nugget weighing 72 kg. Its size was 31x63.5 cm. To this day, the record remains in force. The giant was given the name "Hello Stranger". Interestingly, the giant ingot was located on the surface of the soil: its depth was 5 cm.

• In the spring of 2008, during a sharp downturn in the global economy, the price of gold increased sharply and amounted to $1,000 per ounce (28.55 g). Such a cost was recorded once in the history of the existence of the metal, although it was highly valued in all centuries.
• In ancient times, the most gold was mined in Nubia: slaves mining the metal experienced unprecedented suffering, and the nobility considered it a divine metal.
• Only alloys are used to make jewelry: pure gold is not used.

Copper is a popular metal in electronics

Copper got its name from the first place where the metal was mined. Already in the 3rd millennium BC. metal was cultivated on the island of Cyprus.

Metal Features:

• More often it occurs in the form of complete nuggets. Metal is mined in natural conditions more intensively than precious minerals. The leading example of copper is a nugget found in North America. It weighed 420 tons.

• Today, copper is in demand in electrical engineering. Used for the production of electrical cables and wires: only pure metal is used, since combination with other metals leads to a decrease in electrical conductivity. For example, if you add 0.02% aluminum to copper, the thermal conductivity will decrease by 10%.
• It has antibacterial properties. The science of chemistry proves that copper can eliminate bacteria in water and air. Even in ancient times in Nepal, copper was considered a divine metal. With its help, healers healed diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. It is not surprising that in Nepal there is a “Copper” temple, where the natural resource is still worshiped today.

Copper bracelets are used for medical purposes

• According to scientists from Poland, in a reservoir where copper is found, fish grow much larger than their usual size. In rivers and rates where the element is absent, the water is prone to the development of fungus and mold. But at the same time, sharks cannot tolerate the presence of copper in the water. This was proven by the American military during the Second World War: at that time ships sank every day and it was necessary to look for an “anti-shark” agent. The copper exceeded all expectations: the fish did not even come close to the area that contained copper sulfate.
• The human body contains 80 mg of copper: the metal is present in the vital organs of the human body. A group of Irish and French metal researchers have created a copper composition that promotes the resumption of metabolic processes in a living organism. A couturier from France took advantage of this innovation by treating the threads of denim with Gold Vision – 3000 Classic. The belt and pockets using the composition are formed using a “copper corset”, which has a beneficial effect on the functionality of vital human systems.

Summarized interesting facts about metals

Valcambi delights lovers of precious metals with its exquisite products. It produces gold, silver, and platinum bars in the form of chocolate bars. The peculiarity of such products is that they can be quickly broken: squares are often used as a gift. The weight of one “slice” is 1 g.

Olympic gold medals are not made of gold at all, but of silver. When making awards, the International Olympic Committee requires that they be plated with 6 grams of gold. For example, the gold awards for the Olympic championship in 2012 contained 1% of the precious yellow metal.

• , while working at the British Mint, was the first to carve the edges of coins consisting of precious metals. Today, ribbing is called edge. Applying irregularities to the edges of the coins was due to the need to combat fraudsters who cut off the edges of the coins and formed a counterfeit.
• In total, during their existence, people extracted 161 thousand tons of gold from the bowels of the earth; in terms of value, this figure is $9 trillion.
• When making gold jewelry, a special alloy with the addition of silver or copper is used.

• Alkali metals - francium, cesium, rubidium, potassium, sodium, lithium can dissolve in water, forming compounds. Store them under oil or kerosene.
• Some people have the ability to absorb metal products. For example, the actor M. Lotito became famous for swallowing metal products: it has been proven that during all his performances a person ate up to 9 tons of metal alloys.
• For a long time, platinum was not used as a precious metal. The refractory element was valued much lower than silver. At the beginning of the 17th century in South America, coins made of platinum were considered counterfeit. The government of the country even sank a ship with precious currency in the ocean so that the coins would not fall into use. A giant platinum nugget is kept in the Diamond Fund of the Moscow Kremlin. Its weight is 7 kg.

• In Japan, gold is mined in an unconventional way: the metal is extracted from the ashes. Scientists simply burn sewage waste from industrial enterprises that use gold and precious metal compounds in their production.
• Vanadium, used in forging, is considered a ductile metal. It is preferred by professional craftsmen.

• The earth's crust contains metals, with a greater amount of aluminum in it - up to 8%. In turn, gold makes up 5% ppm. Aluminum was not used by humans for a long time: it was first discovered in 1885. At that time, the French treated aluminum as a precious metal.

• According to the Guinness Book of Records, the most expensive metal is Californian. The element was artificially obtained in 1950. Several milligrams of metal are produced per year and it costs $6,500,000 per gram.

Tungsten is a refractory metal: its boiling point is 5900 degrees. Chrome is durable, gold is soft.

Titanium is a mystical metal named after the fairy queen. It is light, like the airy wings of a fairy. Perhaps the name of the element came from this feature.

Due to their unique properties, gold, platinum and silver are used in medicine. Metals do not react with heat and, accordingly, have a constant temperature regardless of external factors.

Metals are used sparingly, because fossil reserves are not unlimited. Due to their unique properties, they are in demand in all industries. Today, human existence can no longer be imagined without these gifts of Mother Nature.

Metals began to be used by people in ancient times. All the time, the process of obtaining them was improved, useful alloys of various metals appeared. Let's look at some interesting facts about metals.

In ancient times, Norwegian smelters were often poisoned while melting silver. They explained this by the machinations of an evil spirit whose name was Kobold. In fact, the culprit was toxic arsenic oxides released during the roasting of cobalt minerals.

German miners in ancient times were haunted by a spirit called Nickel, which prevented them from extracting copper from ore that was very similar to copper. Later, in the 18th century, they learned to extract metal from this ore. It was named after the mythical spirit - nickel.

For centuries, gold was considered the most expensive metal. For a long time, alchemists did not stop trying to produce gold from various components. Luck smiled on the researchers in 1941. To do this, the Americans Bainbridge, Sherr and Andersen had to bombard mercury atoms with fast neutrons. Unfortunately, the resulting gold turned out to be radioactive.

Speaking about interesting facts about metals, it should be noted that humanity has mined 165 thousand tons of gold throughout its history. Interestingly, half of this gold was received in South Africa. If all the mined gold is cast into one ingot in the form of a cube, with a side of 20 meters.

Of all the devices that decorated the dining table of Napoleon III, the most expensive were made of a new and rare metal in those days - aluminum. At ceremonial dinners, these cutlery were served only to the emperor and his most honored guests. The other participants in the feast had to be content with devices made of the usual gold and silver.

Sea water contains the entire periodic table in a dissolved state, uranium and gold are present there. Modern technologies make it possible to extract only four useful substances from sea water on an industrial scale - fresh water, table salt, magnesium and bromine.

In astrophysics, there is the concept of metallicity, which characterizes the relative concentration of elements heavier than helium in the composition of galaxies and stars. Metallicity indicates the age of a star system. The very first stars had practically no metals in their composition. With each subsequent generation of stars, the concentration of metals in them increased.

Of the total amount of titanium mined in the world, no more than 7% is used in mechanical engineering. 13% of titanium is used for paper production, 20% for plastic production, and 60% for paint production.

Aluminum oxide, which is a thin protective film on its surface, is easily destroyed by mercury. Without this film, aluminum quickly oxidizes in air. Therefore, mercury is prohibited from being transported on airplanes - if it spills, a hole may form in the fuselage of the aircraft.

The word platinum is translated from Spanish as “silver”. With this word, the conquistadors expressed their disdain for this metal. This is explained by the increased refractoriness of platinum, so it was valued at half the price of silver. Now the price of platinum on world markets exceeds the price of silver by almost 100 times.

Interesting talk about gold. Unknown facts:

The scientific and technological revolution of the 20th century is associated with the introduction and widespread use of rare metals. Their use has opened up new areas of modern industry, science and technology. Read on to find out what these metals are and what makes them special:

1. Galium (Ga) is a very soft and brittle metal of a light gray color that melts in the hands. And when it is immersed in sulfuric acid, it begins to pulsate like a living heart! It is likely that the concept of creating a terminator from liquid metal could not do without gallium either... Today, almost all gallium is used in microelectronics.

2. Tantalum (Ta). The unique quality of this metal is its ability to take root in the human body without causing irritation to surrounding tissues. There is a known case when an artificial ear was made from a tantalum plate, and the skin transplanted from the thigh took root so well that soon it was difficult to distinguish the tantalum ear from the real one!

3. Niobium (Nb) is an extremely refractory (2468 °C) and high-boiling (4927 °C) metal. In 2003, the first bimetallic coin was issued in Austria: its outer ring was made of silver, and its inner circle was made of pure niobium. This metal also proved its worth in Japan; thanks to magnets, hovercraft trains were created on its basis, reaching speeds of up to 577 km/h.

4. Lithium (Li) - very soft and ductile. In medicine, lithium is credited with incredible healing properties. Thus, many articles note that in regions where the water contains relatively large amounts of this metal, the crime rate and suicide rate are much lower, and people are kinder and calmer.

5. Neodymium (Nd) is a rare earth metal of silvery-white color with a golden tint, the use of small doses of which in agriculture increases the yield of food crops by 60%.

6. Titanium (Ti) is a lightweight, durable metal of silver-white color. Titanium dust tends to explode, with a flash point reaching 400 °C! But this metal has also shown itself to be an excellent sculptural material: the monument to Yuri Gagarin, erected in Moscow, is made of it.

7. Cesium (Cs) is the softest metal at room temperature. Like gallium, it can be melted in your hands. The only condition: the cesium must be sealed in a glass ampoule, otherwise it will ignite. Due to its amazing properties, it is widely used in photographic technology, optics and nuclear energy.

8. Zirconium (Zr) is a ductile metal that can be easily cold and hot worked. Zirconium salts have water-repellent properties; they are used to make raincoats. And high-temperature fuel cells based on zirconium and yttrium oxides increase the efficiency of thermal power plants from 35 to 60%.

9. Vanadium (V) is the rarest ferrous metal on Earth. Repeated research by scientists has established a connection between vanadium and the mental state of a person. It has been scientifically proven that the vanadium content in human blood increases significantly in schizophrenia.

10. The world's largest detailed deposits of lithium, cesium, yttrium, yttrium and cerium lanthanides, zirconium, tantalum and niobium are located in Russia. However, all of them are located in hard-to-reach regions of Siberia, the Arctic, or highlands, and, unfortunately, are almost never developed.

Over the centuries, in a person’s life there have constantly been things that surprised him and went beyond the usual understanding of the world around him. Once upon a time, our ancestors imagined such things as gunpowder, magnets, electricity, and self-propelled mechanisms to be real magic. However, even in our enlightened age, there are many things that were recently discovered or created by science that are similar to the result of real witchcraft. Many metals and alloys actively used today have such unusual qualities.

Gallium is a metal that melts in your hands

The existence of liquid metals and the ability of metals to take on a liquid state at high temperatures are well-known facts. But a rather unusual phenomenon is a solid metal that melts in your hands like ice cream. This is gallium. It melts already at room temperature and is unsuitable for ordinary practical use. It will completely dissolve right before your eyes if you place any gallium product in a glass of hot water. This metal can also make aluminum very brittle. To do this, simply place a small drop of gallium on an aluminum surface.

Nitinol is a metal with memory

Nitinol is an alloy of nickel and titanium. It has the unusual ability to “remember” its original shape and restore it after deformation. All it takes is a little heat. A few drops of warm water will be enough for this alloy to return to its original state even after very strong distortion of the original shape. Currently, methods are being developed for the practical use of this material in technology, and it has already been used quite successfully in medicine, in particular, for the treatment of patients with diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system.

Mercury is a liquid metal

Mercury is one of the most interesting and unusual metals. After its discovery, mercury received the name “argentum vivum”, which translated means “living silver”. This name is associated with its characteristics: it is a liquid that spreads faster than water, but it is also quite heavy. For example, a bucket filled with mercury will weigh approximately 130 kg!

This metal is quite rare and is most often found in rocks that were formed during an eruption. Mercury can be extracted from ore by heating it.

This metal has been known for thousands of years. It was originally obtained from cinnabar. It was precisely because of the ease of transition of mercury into cinnabar and back that it was given the role of the main element in the creation of the “philosopher’s stone”, which occupied the minds of various alchemists for many generations. It was believed that if mercury could be purified and made solid, then gold would be made from this material.

In addition to alchemists, mercury was of considerable interest to various magicians, who actively used it in their magical rituals. In those days, cinnabar - red mercury - was very valuable. It was used as a means to expel spirits or to destroy astral structures by spraying in the air. It was believed that otherworldly entities, afraid of being damaged, left such “mercury” areas that were dangerous for them. It was also noticed that devices begin to malfunction in places treated in this way, and people gain heightened emotional perception.

Likewise, doctors in the old days considered mercury the best medicine against a number of diseases. By the time it became known that it was poisonous, mercury was already being widely used for the manufacture of medicinal potions and as cosmetics.

The famous traveler Marco Polo, describing the life of yogis, mentioned an unusual drink that was prepared from mercury and sulfur. According to these yogis, they have been drinking this drink since childhood and thereby significantly prolonging their lives. It was claimed that some of them were up to 200 years old! Another traveler, Francois Bernier, who studied the lifestyle of Indian ascetics and yogis, wrote about their knowledge of the secret of preparing a special potion from mercury, two drops of which, taken in the morning, allowed a person to feel in excellent physical shape all day long.

Interesting moments related to mercury can also be found in Indian epics. There we are talking about vimanas - special flying machines that were used by gods, princes or demons. According to the translation, the fuel for these devices was a mixture of honey, rice infusion, “soma” (a drink resembling beer) and mercury.

Modern technologies do not allow the use of mercury as fuel for engines, but the possibility cannot be ruled out that in ancient texts they were talking about something similar to nuclear fuel, where mercury played the role that water plays in modern nuclear engines, and vimanas were devices for flying in space.

California-252 is the most expensive metal

Californium was produced artificially in 1950 at the University of California at Berkeley. It is extracted from the products of long-term irradiation of plutonium with neutrons in a nuclear reactor. Due to the extremely complex method of production, California-252 is currently the most expensive metal. Its price reaches $10,000,000 per gram. However, the reserve of californium is only a few grams on our entire planet, since it is produced in only two reactors - in the USA and Russia, 20-40 micrograms per year. But it has very impressive properties. More than millions of neutrons per second are produced by micrograms of California. And for example, one gram of it during the decay period releases as much energy as 200 kilograms of radium. Currently, this metal is used in medicine as a point source of neutrons in the local treatment of malignant tumors, as well as a powerful source of neutrons in neutron activation analysis and in experiments studying spontaneous nuclear fission.

Based on materials from: earth-chronicles.ru