misplaced footwear
alchymista: Day 31: Interesting Facts About GalliumAtomic Symbol: Ga; Atomic Number: 31; Atomic Mass: 69.723 Though gallium is a solid at room temperature, its melting point is at 85.57˚F or 29.76˚C, so it will melt in your hand or in the the summer heat. It also has one of the longest liquid ranges of any metal, with a boiling point of 3999˚F or 2204˚C. Once liquified, the element tends to supercool, remaining a liquid below its freezing point. Adding solid gallium seed particles may be necessary to solidify the liquid metal. Also, be careful not to store your gallium in glass or metal containers, as gallium expands by 3.1 % during solidification, possibly breaking these containers. Gallium can prove extremely useful in high-temperature thermometers, creating low-melting alloys, doping material for semiconductors, radiogallium salts, transistors, mirrors, LEDs, lasers, and in the study of neutrinos. A classic prank many scientists have been known to use involves creating spoons of gallium and serving them with tea for unsuspecting guests. Imagine the surprise when the spoon melts in their hands and hot tea! Also: watch the gallium beating heart reaction here, in which Gallium is placed into 6M solution of H2SO4. Upon being prodded with a nail, the surface tension decreases, creating a “heartbeat.” Image: Gallium melts on the hand.

alchymista:

Day 31: Interesting Facts About Gallium
Atomic Symbol: Ga; Atomic Number: 31; Atomic Mass: 69.723

  1. Though gallium is a solid at room temperature, its melting point is at 85.57˚F or 29.76˚C, so it will melt in your hand or in the the summer heat. It also has one of the longest liquid ranges of any metal, with a boiling point of 3999˚F or 2204˚C.
  2. Once liquified, the element tends to supercool, remaining a liquid below its freezing point. Adding solid gallium seed particles may be necessary to solidify the liquid metal. Also, be careful not to store your gallium in glass or metal containers, as gallium expands by 3.1 % during solidification, possibly breaking these containers.
  3. Gallium can prove extremely useful in high-temperature thermometers, creating low-melting alloys, doping material for semiconductors, radiogallium salts, transistors, mirrors, LEDs, lasers, and in the study of neutrinos.
  4. A classic prank many scientists have been known to use involves creating spoons of gallium and serving them with tea for unsuspecting guests. Imagine the surprise when the spoon melts in their hands and hot tea!
  5. Also: watch the gallium beating heart reaction here, in which Gallium is placed into 6M solution of H2SO4. Upon being prodded with a nail, the surface tension decreases, creating a “heartbeat.”

Image: Gallium melts on the hand.

Source: alchymista

12 February 603 crookedindifference
Science!

Notes

  1. mother-platypus reblogged this from alchymista
  2. eden-in-england reblogged this from alchymista
  3. jacks-cerebral-cortex reblogged this from scinerds
  4. octavejumpsandpedaltones reblogged this from alchymista
  5. thousandhandbrightskycannon reblogged this from crookedindifference
  6. maramwanderlust reblogged this from alchymista
  7. justasmidgenofthings reblogged this from alchymista
  8. motherchimney reblogged this from catuscat
  9. grey-skyline reblogged this from catuscat
  10. catuscat reblogged this from crookedindifference
  11. sciencyandgeeky reblogged this from leogriever
  12. betsybaby reblogged this from alchymista
  13. intenselyclever reblogged this from scinerds
  14. psymonster reblogged this from drueisms and added:
    Interesting Facts About Gallium Atomic Symbol: Ga; Atomic Number: 31; Atomic Mass: 69.723 Though gallium is a solid at...
  15. laaddict reblogged this from crookedindifference
  16. jssl reblogged this from crookedindifference and added:
    Gallium melts on the hand
  17. perverse-liberation reblogged this from dafft
  18. itszarwright reblogged this from drueisms
  19. drueisms reblogged this from scinerds and added:
    And you can buy some right here!
  20. alchemista reblogged this from crownedrose
  21. thewhitestchinkyouknow reblogged this from alchymista
  22. kay-mac-1427 reblogged this from thestarsandback
  23. leogriever reblogged this from likeaphysicist
  24. confusionmakesmoresense reblogged this from alchymista
  25. max-tollenaar reblogged this from likeaphysicist
  26. alphabetsouppredictsthefuture reblogged this from physicistsneedlovetoo
  27. dafft reblogged this from crookedindifference
  28. unlikelyfairytale reblogged this from crookedindifference
  29. nakedsciencebutt reblogged this from thescienceofreality
  30. moxie-redux reblogged this from shychemist
  31. elbeetays reblogged this from scinerds
  32. callmequell reblogged this from lilgriff
  33. oggi-e-domani reblogged this from emmasjerk
  34. pompous-imperial reblogged this from pantsareforassholes
  35. pantsareforassholes reblogged this from crownedrose
  36. thecraftychemist reblogged this from shychemist

← Previous Post Next Post →

About

Hi. I'm Sam. I'm a huge nerd.

No, I don't work at tumblr. And no, you can't have my tumblr username. I had to fight a bear to get it.


Ask me anything

Connect

Lynx theme created by Andrew Stichbury for Tumblr.