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Heavy metals facts for kids

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Osmium crystals
Crystals of osmium, a heavy metal nearly twice as dense as lead.

Heavy metals are metals or chemical compounds containing metals, which are a concern to the environment. This definition was made, when the effects of cadmium, mercury and lead became known. All of these are denser than iron. The definition has since been applied to any other similarly toxic metal, or metalloid such as arsenic, regardless of density. Commonly encountered heavy metals are chromium, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, arsenic, selenium, silver, cadmium, antimony, mercury, thallium and lead. More specific definitions of a heavy metal have been proposed; none have obtained widespread acceptance.

Images for kids

  • Looking down on the top of a small wooden boat-like shape. Four metal strings run along the middle of the shape down its long axis. The strings pass over a small raised wooden bridge positioned in the centre of the shape so that the strings sit above the deck of the cello.

    In a cello (example shown above) or a viola the C-string sometimes incorporates tungsten; its high density permits a smaller diameter string and improves responsiveness.

  • Small translucent, pink-coloured crystals a bit like the colour of candy floss

    Neodymium sulfate (Nd2(SO4)3), used to colour glassware

  • A satellite image of what look like semi-regularly spaced swathes of black tiles set in a plain, surrounded by farmland and grass lands

    The Topaz Solar Farm, in southern California, features 9 million cadmium-tellurium photovoltaic modules covering an area of 25.6 square kilometres (9.5 square miles).

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