Why is this element important in everyday life?
Lead is used in many things. It is used for absorption of radiation (X-rays), it is used to make alloys suitable for metals, it is also used for fisherman(sinkers), and used to make bullets. The most common place that lead is found is gasoline. Today, gas companies take the lead out of gas to better maintain the engines.
Where is this element found in nature?
Lead is widespread occurring in the same location as other metals such as gold, silver, zinc. Most concentrated metal deposits are formed in hydrothermal veins(fissures in rock sited above magma chambers). As hot mineral-rich fluids rise above the magma chambers during the last stages of volcanic activity, the fluids cool and a # of minerals solidify among them lead. Lead mines are sometimes found in areas of limestone(especially a form called dolomite) that once had magma chambers below them.
What are the properties of the element?
General Characteristics = Lead is a metal and has a low melting point. The reactivity of lead is near the bottom of the reactivity chart. It is between tin and copper on the scale. Lead is the heaviest of all common metals. It is over 11 times as heavy as an = volume of water. It is abundant and cheap(used for sculpture because it can be cast accurately.)
Atomic Symbol = Pb
Period Number = 6
Group Number and Family Name =Group-4. Family-metals
Atomic Number = 82
Atomic Mass =207.21
Density =11.005 gm/c.c.
Melting Point =327.43 degrees C
Boiling Point =1620 degrees C
Electron Configuration =Pb-1s22s22p63s23p64s23d104p65s24d105p66s24f145d106p2
Shorthand Notation =Pb-[Xe] 6s24f145d106p2
Common Reactions =Dissolves is soft water
Interesting Information =
Who is ?
Hi, my name is Plumbun, but my friends call me Pb, for short. I am one of the heaviest metals of all the elements. I am 3x as dense as most rocks and I form a natural compound with many other elements, but I am most commonly seen as crystals of lead sulfide or galena. I am always confused with my best friend graphite. People think that I am what makes pencils write but actually that is my friends fob. If I was is pencils I would make them very heavy for people to use.
People use me for tons of things, but after a while they found out that I am harmful to them. Some examples would be that ancient people used me in cosmetics, other people thought I was good for water pipes, but I dissolve in soft water and contaminate it and I also use to be in gasoline but they took me out because I hurt the engines. But there are some things that I am useful for, I am put on fishing line to help make it sink, I am used in bullets, I can absorb radiation, I can also be used to make alloys suitable for fuse wires.
So I guess that I have my good points and bad points. The good part is that I am unique and no other element is like me.
