Why is this element important in everyday life?
Titanium is a very useful element to humans. Since the element is very unreactive with human tissue, it is often used in joint replacement parts (such as hip ball and socket replacements) and surgical pins. Titanium Oxide(TiO2) is used in house paint and artist's paint. That is one of the largest uses of titanium. Since it also reflects infrared exceptionally well, it used in solar observatories that deal with excesses of heat. Titanium, because of its durability and light weight, is often used for missile casings and to build airplane replacement parts. Of course, Titanium is used to build things like golf clubs, where they are a nice accessory because of its weight and stability. It is also used on ships to stop corrosion of parts from the salt in the sea. Titanium is also used to react with other elements to create things, but you can read about that below.
Where is this element found in nature?
Surely one of the most exciting places to find titanium is in meteorites and the sun. Missions from Apollo 17 brought back rocks that contained titanium oxide, which was mentioned above. However, titanium is the ninth most abundant element in the Earth's crust. It is easily found in most igneous rocks and its derivative sediments. It can also be found in the minerals rutile, ilmenite, titanates, and many iron ores. The element can be isolated by simply breaking it down with the element magnesium.
What are the properties of the element?
General Characteristics =
Pure titanium is a lustrous white color. It is a metal, and is very unreactive. It becomes extremely radioactive in the presence of deuterons. It is as strong as steel but 45% lighter. It is 60% heavier than the element aluminum, but is twice as strong. It is resistant to sulfuric and hydrochloric acid, most organic acids, and most chlorine gases and solutions.
Atomic Symbol = Ti
Period Number = 4
Group Number and Family Name = Group 4- a transition metal
Atomic Number =22
Atomic Mass =47.90
Density =4.54 g/cm3
Melting Point =1660 degrees Celsius
Boiling Point =3287 degrees Celsius
Electron Configuration = 1s22s22p63s23p64s23d2
Shorthand Notation = [Ar]4s23d2
Common Reactions = Titanium tetrachloride iridizes glass and can be used in smoke screens. Titanium oxide can be combined with iron and other elements to make such gemstones as sapphires, emeralds, and rubies.
Interesting Information =
Titanium is often found in plant food. It is the only element on the periodic table that burns in the presence of nitrogen. 99.95% pure titanium powder sells for around $100 a pound, so if you plan on giving titanium to someone for their birthday, I suggest you start saving up now.
Who is titanium?
Well, I've always been kind of mellow. Not a whole lot gets me riled up. I kinda just sit around and try to be useful when someone needs me. This guy William Gregor first isolated me in England in 1791. He was pretty cool-he named me Titanium, after the Titans in Greek mythology. I mean, really, he could have named me Flowerinium or Kittinium. That could be potentially embarrassing. So there I was, living in England with this gigantic family called the transition metals. Some of us had been isolated and discovered but some of my more elusive relatives were yet to be found. I'm the second to last in the family with an atomic number of 22(the youngest is Scandium, with an atomic number of 21). I usually get along pretty well with everyone. Aluminum is 60% lighter than me, which he sometimes teases me about, but then I just remind him that I am twice as strong as him. It's kind of like a big mental raspberry.
I'm really quite large; I'm the ninth most abundant element in the Earth's crust, which is pretty cool. I guess I've become kind of valuable-I cost around $100 a pound. When I combine with oxygen, we can be found as a vital part of rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. Plus, I am the only element, not only in transition metals, but the entire shebang, that can burn in nitrogen. So ha! I'm so awesome. Don't I deserve to be a little conceited? I think the girl that's writing this already told you that I'm used on ships to stop salt water corrosion. But I just want to add that had I been involved largely with the Titanic, I could have saved both Jack and Rose by not even sinking in the first place. True, that's just an assumption I make, but doesn't it sound neat?
I'm found in a bunch of different places, not just the Earth's crust. I've traveled in space, like in meteorites and on the sun. I'm in the minerals rutile, ilmienite, sphene, titanates and a whole grab bag of iron ores. Plus, I can be found in the ash of coal, plants, and-YOUR BODY! Bwa-ha-ha! I'm everywhere!! Can't nobody hold me down!!!
Sorry about that. I get kind of excited easily. Anyway, the reason I'm here is that I'm tired of being by myself. Oxygen and all that has gotten boring to me, so I'm here to place a personal ad on the 'Net. If you're a single element, maybe I'm the one for you…
Single lustrous white(when pure)element seeks single element, any color, to talk to. You should be kind of like me-resistant to sulfuric and hydrochloric acid, most organic acids, chlorine gas and chloride solutions. This would be especially helpful for those late night swims in pools. You should like plants, since sometimes I'm an ingredient in plant food. You should be unreactive to human tissue in case I ever need to be used as a surgical pin or joint replacement. You should be willing to travel long distances to get to me since I am often used in missile casings because of my lightness. You must be very against jealousy and trust me; I can only be produced when I am placed with magnesium, but you must remember that magnesium and I are just friends and never-okay, rarely join. You should try to form something nice with me- maybe we can make our own gemstone type. Come one- you and me, honey. We can make beautiful alloys together.
Maybe I'm just destined to be alone. I've always been so unreactive, and I'm comfortable when I combine with oxygen or what have you. Maybe a loner element like titanium just isn't meant to be with other elements. Oh, well…. Here's looking at you, kid.
