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Beryllium Research Paper

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Beryllium is a chemical element that has the symbol Be. It has the atomic number 4, the atomic weight of 9.012182, and the density of 1.85 grams per cubic centimeter. At room temperature its phase is a solid, and its element classification is metal. It is group number two, period number two, and its group name is alkaline earth metals. The name beryllium comes from the Greek word, beryl (The Element Beryllium). Beryllium is a scarce, but important element that has many uses in the world. Beryllium was first recognized by Abbe Hauy in 1798, who discovered a mineral with emeralds and beryl. Later that year, Louis-Nicholas Vauquelin discovered that an unknown element was present in emeralds and beryl (The Element Beryllium). However, beryllium was not isolated until 1828 by Friedrich Wolhler in Berlin and independently by Antoine Alexander Brutus Bussy in …show more content…

(Beryllium Element Information). It is also being used to make windows for X-ray tubes. When exposed to alpha particles, such as those released by radium or polonium, beryllium releases neutrons and is used as a neutron source. Beryllium is also used as a moderator in nuclear reactors (The Element Beryllium). The oxide has a very high melting point, which is why it is useful in nuclear work (Beryllium Element Information). Beryllium is found in about 30 different mineral species. The most important are beryl and bertrandite. Two precious forms of beryl are emerald and aquamarine. (Beryllium Element Information). Beryllium is available commercially, and would not normally be made in a lab. Its chemistry is dominated by its tendency to loose an electron to form BE2+ (Beryllium: The Essentials). The top three producers of beryllium in order are The United States, China, and Mozambique (Beryllium Element Information). Beryllium has 9 isotopes, but the only stable isotope is Be(Beryllium Element

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