Copper, Chemical Element

Copper was one of the earliest elements known to man. At one time, it could be found lying on the ground in its native state or uncombined state.

Curium, Chemical Element

Curium is called a transuranium element because it follows uranium on the periodic table. The periodic table is a chart that shows how chemical elements are related to each other.

Dysprosium, Chemical Element

Dysprosium is one of 15 rare earth elements. The name rare earth is misleading because the elements in this group are not especially uncommon.

Einsteinium, Chemical Element

Einsteinium is a member of the actinide family. The actinide elements are found in Row 7 of the periodic table, a chart that shows how chemical elements are related to each other.

Erbium, Chemical Element

Erbium is one of 14 rare earth elements with atomic numbers 58 through 71 in Row 6 of the periodic table. The periodic table is a chart that shows how chemical elements are related to each other.

Europium, Chemical Element

Europium was discovered in 1901 by French chemist Eugene-Anatole Demarcay (1852-1904). Demarcay named the element after the continent of Europe.

Fermium, Chemical Element

Fermium is one of the transuranium elements, which lie beyond uranium on the periodic table. The periodic table is a chart that shows how chemical elements are related to each other.

Fluorine, Chemical Element

Fluorine is the lightest member of the halogen family, elements in Group 17 (VIIA) of the periodic table. The periodic table is a chart that shows how elements are related to one another.

Francium, Chemical Element

Francium is an alkali metal, a member of Group 1 (IA) in the periodic table. The periodic table is a chart that shows how chemical elements are related to each other.

Gadolinium, Chemical Element

Gadolinium was named for Finnish chemist Johan Gadolin (1760-1852). Gadolin served for many years as professor of chemistry at the University of Åbo in Finland.

Gallium, Chemical Element

In the late 1860s Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev (1834-1907) made one of the greatest discoveries in modern chemistry: the periodic law. The periodic law describes how chemical elements are related to each other.

Germanium, Chemical Element

Germanium is a metalloid. A metalloid is an element that has characteristics of both metals and non-metals.

Gold, Chemical Element

Gold has been called the most beautiful of all chemical elements. Its beauty has made it desirable for use in jewelry, coins, and artwork for thousands of years.

Hafnium, Chemical Element

Hafnium is an element that chemists knew existed, but could not find. They knew it must exist because of an empty space in the periodic table.

Helium, Chemical Element

Helium is a member of the noble gas family. The noble gases are the elements in Group 18 (VIIIA) of the periodic table.

Holmium, Chemical Element

Holmium occurs in Row 6 of the periodic table. The periodic table is a chart that shows how chemical elements are related to each other.

Hydrogen, Chemical Element

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. Nearly nine out of every ten atoms in the universe are hydrogen atoms.

Indium, Chemical Element

Indium is part of the aluminum family in Group 13 (IIIA) of the periodic table. The periodic table is a chart that shows how chemical elements are related to each other.

Iodine, Chemical Element

Iodine is the heaviest of the commonly occurring halogens. The halogens are in Group 17 (VIIA) of the periodic table.

Iridium, Chemical Element

Indium is in Group 9 (VIIIB) of the periodic table. The periodic table is a chart that shows how elements are related to one another.

Iron, Chemical Element

The period in human history beginning in about 1200 B.C. is called the Iron Age.

Krypton, Chemical Element

Krypton was one of three noble gases discovered in 1898 by Scottish chemist and physicist Sir William Ramsay (1852-1916) and English chemist Morris William Travers (1872-1961). Ramsay and Travers discovered the gases by allowing liquid air to evaporate.