Barium bromide facts for kids
Barium bromide is a special kind of chemical compound. Think of it as a tiny building block made from two different parts: barium and bromide ions. Its chemical formula is BaBr2, which tells us it has one barium atom and two bromine atoms joined together.
Contents
What is Barium Bromide Like?
Barium bromide is a solid that looks like a clear or white crystal. It can easily dissolve in water, just like sugar or salt.
Is Barium Bromide Safe?
It's important to know that barium bromide is toxic. This means it can be harmful if someone touches or swallows it. The barium parts inside it are what make it dangerous. Because of this, it must be handled very carefully by scientists.
How Does Barium Bromide React?
When barium bromide meets something called a sulfate ion, they have a special reaction. They create a new substance called barium sulfate. This new substance is "insoluble," which means it does not dissolve in water. It would just sit at the bottom of the water.
How is Barium Bromide Made?
Scientists can make barium bromide in a few ways.
Making it with Acids
One common way is to mix barium carbonate with a strong liquid called hydrobromic acid. When these two chemicals come together, they react and form barium bromide.
Making it from Elements
Another way is to combine pure barium metal with bromine. This reaction can be very strong and energetic, so it needs to be done with great care in a lab.
What is Barium Bromide Used For?
Barium bromide has a couple of important uses in science and industry.
Making Other Chemicals
It can be used to create other useful chemicals, such as zinc bromide. This is like using one ingredient to bake a different kind of cake.
Purifying Radium
Barium bromide is also used to help clean and purify radium. Radium is a special element that is sometimes found mixed with barium. Scientists use barium bromide to separate the radium, making it purer.
Related pages
- Barium chloride
- Barium phosphate
