Beryllium facts for kids
Beryllium is in group 2 of the periodic table, so it is an alkaline earth metal. It is grayish (slightly gray) in color. It has an atomic number of 4 and is symbolized by the letters Be. It is toxic and should not be handled without proper training.
Beryllium has 4 electrons, 4 protons, and 5 neutrons.
Beryllium has one of the highest melting points of the light metals: 1560 K (1287 °C). It is added to other metals to make stronger alloys. Beryllium-copper alloy is used in tools because it does not make sparks.
At standard temperature and pressure, beryllium resists oxidation when exposed to oxygen.
Beryllium is best known for the chemical compounds it forms. Beryllium combines with aluminium, silicon and oxygen to make a mineral called beryl. Emerald and aquamarine are two varieties of beryl which are used as gemstones in jewelry.
Since it has a very high stiffness to weight ratio, beryllium is used to make the diaphragms in some high-end speakers.
Contents
Uses
Beryllium is used to make jet aircrafts, guided missiles, spacecraft, and satellites, including the James Webb telescope. Beryllium can reflect neutrons, and thin foils of beryllium are sometimes used in nuclear weapons as the outer layer of the plutonium pits. Beryllium is also used in fuel rods for CANDU reactors. Beryllium is used to make many dental alloys.
Rarity
It is a relatively rare element in the universe. It usually occurs when larger atomic nuclei have split up. In stars, beryllium is depleted because it is fused and builds larger elements.
Related pages
| Periodic table | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H | He | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Li | Be | B | C | N | O | F | Ne | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Na | Mg | Al | Si | P | S | Cl | Ar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| K | Ca | Sc | Ti | V | Cr | Mn | Fe | Co | Ni | Cu | Zn | Ga | Ge | As | Se | Br | Kr | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rb | Sr | Y | Zr | Nb | Mo | Tc | Ru | Rh | Pd | Ag | Cd | In | Sn | Sb | Te | I | Xe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cs | Ba | La | Ce | Pr | Nd | Pm | Sm | Eu | Gd | Tb | Dy | Ho | Er | Tm | Yb | Lu | Hf | Ta | W | Re | Os | Ir | Pt | Au | Hg | Tl | Pb | Bi | Po | At | Rn | ||||||||||
| Fr | Ra | Ac | Th | Pa | U | Np | Pu | Am | Cm | Bk | Cf | Es | Fm | Md | No | Lr | Rf | Db | Sg | Bh | Hs | Mt | Ds | Rg | Cn | Uut | Fl | Uup | Lv | Uus | Uuo | ||||||||||
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Images for kids
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Plot showing variations in solar activity, including variation in sunspot number (red) and 10Be concentration (blue). Note that the beryllium scale is inverted, so increases on this scale indicate lower 10Be levels
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Beryllium ore with 1US¢ coin for scale
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Schematic structure of basic beryllium acetate
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Beryllium hydrolysis. Water molecules attached to Be are omitted in this diagram
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Louis-Nicolas Vauquelin discovered beryllium
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Friedrich Wöhler was one of the men who independently isolated beryllium
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Beryllium target which converts a proton beam into a neutron beam
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A square beryllium foil mounted in a steel case to be used as a window between a vacuum chamber and an X-ray microscope. Beryllium is highly transparent to X-rays owing to its low atomic number.
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Beryllium copper adjustable wrench
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A hollow beryllium sphere used in a gyrocompass of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress aircraft
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Two CANDU fuel bundles: Each about 50 cm in length and 10 cm in diameter. Notice the small appendages on the fuel clad surfaces
See also
In Spanish: Berilio para niños
