| Element | Description | Uses / Occurrence | Commercial Uses | ||
| 1 | H | Hydrogen | explosive gas, lightest element | 90% of atoms in the universe, sun and stars, H2O, life's organic molecules | Manufacture of ammonia; Hydrogenation of vegetable oils;Rocket fuels |
| 2 | He | Helium | inert gas, second-lightest element | fuel for nuclear fusion in sun and stars, balloons, lasers, supercold refrigerant | To float blimps; By divers; In super market laser beams |
| 3 | Li | Lithium | lightest metal, soft, reactive | lightweight aluminum alloys, batteries, impact-resistant ceramic cookware (Corningware®), mood stabilizer | To form alloy with aluminum in aircraft manufacture; Anode in small batteries; Treatment for bipolar patients |
| 4 | Be | Beryllium | lightweight metal | non-sparking copper alloy tools, aerospace, X-ray windows, beryl gems: emeralds and aquamarines | Window for X-ray tubes; To form an alloy with copper |
| 5 | B | Boron | hard black solid | borax soap, fertilizer, stiff fibers, sports equipment (golf clubs, tennis rackets, skis), heat-resistant borosilicate glass (Pyrex®), semiconductors | In nuclear reactors; In transistors in high-tech industry |
| 6 | C | Carbon | hard diamond, soft graphite | basis of life's organic molecules, animals, plants, CO2, wood, paper, cloth, plastic, coal, oil | In industry for abrasive purposes; In lead pencils; For fuel in industry and the home |
| 7 | N | Nitrogen | colorless gas | 78% of air, organic molecules, protein, muscles, DNA, ammonia, fertilizer, explosives (TNT), refrigerants | To freeze foods and biological specimens; In industry as a blanketing gas; In making ammonia |
| 8 | O | Oxygen | colorless gas | 21% of air, H2O, 65% of the human body, organic molecules, blood, breathing, fire, half of earth's crust, minerals, oxides | Life; Various industrial and aerospace uses |
| 9 | F | Flourine | yellowish poison gas, most reactive element | glowing fluorite, toothpaste, nonstick cookware (Teflon®), CFC refrigerants (Freon®) | To produce uranium haxafluoride; In nuclear research; In water supplies |
| 10 | Ne | Neon | inert gas | orange-red neon tubes for advertising signs, lasers, supercold refrigerant | Store signs |
| 11 | Na | Sodium (Natrium ) | soft metal, reactive | salt (NaCl), nerves, baking soda, antacids, lye, soap, soda ash, glass, papermaking, street lamps | Moderator in nuclear reactors; In light-measuring devices; Numerous uses for its compounds |
| 12 | Mg | Magnesium | lightweight metal | chlorophyll in green plants, talc, basalt, aluminum alloys, cars, planes, bikes, flares, sparklers, antacids | Alloy with aluminum in manufacturing; In flash bulbs; In pharmaceuticals |
| 13 | Al | Aluminum | lightweight non-corroding metal | common metal, kitcheware, cans, foil, machinery, cars, planes, bikes, feldspar, granite, clay, ceramics, corundum, gems | In high-voltage transmission lines: In various reflectors; In airplane wings; In alloys |
| 14 | Si | Silicon | hard metalloid | quartz, granite, sand, soil, clay, ceramics, glass, algae, diatoms, semiconductors, computer chips, silicone rubber | Microelectronics industry; In making glass, ceramics, solar cells, and microphones |
| 15 | P | Phosphorus | glowing white waxy solid (also red and black forms) | bones, DNA, energy-storing phosphates (ATP), fertilizer, acids, detergents, matches | Making phosphoric acid for fertilizers; In detergents; In tlevision tubes |
| 16 | S | Sulfur | brittle yellow solid | skin, hair, egg yolks, onions, garlic, skunks, hot springs, volcanos, gypsum, rubber, acids, papermaking | To form sulfur dioxide and sulfuric acid; For bleaching textiles and wood pulp; For preserving food; In making fertilizers |
| 17 | Cl | Chlorine | greenish poison gas | salt (NaCl), bleach, stomach acid, disinfectant, drinking water, swimming pools, PVC plastic pipes and bottles | For bleaching; In manufactur of polymers |
| 18 | Ar | Argon | inert gas | 1% of air, most abundant inert gas on earth, light bulbs, "neon" tubes, lasers, welding gas | To fill incandescent light bulbs and fluorescent bulbs; In welding; In Geiger counters |
| 19 | K | Potassium (Kalium) | soft metal, reactive | salts, nerves, nutrient in fruits and vegetables, soap, fertilizer, potash, matches, gunpowder | For plant fertilizers; In storage batteries; As a preservative |
| 20 | Ca | Calcium | soft metal | bones, teeth, milk, leaves, vegetables, shells, coral, limestone, chalk, gypsum, plaster, mortar, cement, marble, antacids | In mortar, concrete, and gypsum; In production of iron; Marble structures |
| 21 | Sc | Scandium | soft lightweight metal | aluminum alloys, racing bikes, stadium lamps, furnace bricks, aquamarines | Construction of aircraft; High-intensity lamps |
| 22 | Ti | Titanium | strongest lightweight metal, heat-resistant | aerospace, racing bikes, artificial joints, white paint, blue sapphires | In rocket and jet engines; Manufacturing of sports bicycles; Pigments in paints, paper, and plastics |
| 23 | V | Vanadium | hard metal | hard strong resilient steel, structures, vehicles, springs, driveshafts, tools, aerospace, violet sapphires | In making steel; In nuclear reactors |
| 24 | Cr | Chromium | hard shiny metal | stainless steel (Fe-Cr-Ni), kitchenware, nichrome heaters, car trim, paints, recording tape, emeralds and rubies | In automobiles; In stainless steel |
| 25 | Mn | Manganese | hard metal | hard tough steel, earthmovers, rock crushers, rails, plows, axes, batteries, fertilizer, amethysts | Making of steel; Compound in dry-cell batteries |
| 26 | Fe | Iron (Ferrum) | medium-hard metal, magnetic | steel alloys are mostly iron, structures, vehicles, magnets, earth's core, red rocks, blood | As a structural component; In making steel; Magnets |
| 27 | Co | Cobalt | hard metal, magnetic | hard strong steel, cutting tools, turbines, magnets (Al-Ni-Co), blue glass and ceramics, vitamin B-12 | In making steel; Alloy with tungsten and copper; Alloy with aluminum and copper |
| 28 | Ni | Nickel | medium-hard metal, magnetic | stainless steel (Fe-Cr-Ni), kitchenware, nichrome heaters, coins, nicad batteries, earth's core | In stainless steel; In heating elements, coins, and batteries |
| 29 | Cu | Copper (Cuprum) | colored metal, conducts heat and electricity well | wires, cookware, brass (Cu-Zn), bronze (Cu-Sn), coins, pipes, blue crab blood | In plumbing, electrical wires, and coins; Component of alloys |
| 30 | Zn | Zinc | non-corroding metal | galvanized steel, brass (Cu-Zn), batteries, white paint, phosphors in TVs and lamps, fertilizer | Galvanization of steel; In dry-cell batteries and coins |
| 31 | Ga | Gallium | soft metal, melts on a hot day | semiconductors, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) (GaAs), signal lights, tiny lasers | In laser diodes; In supercomputers; In neutrino detectors |
| 32 | Ge | Germanium | brittle metalloid | semiconductors, transistors, rectifiers, diodes, photocells, lenses, infrared windows | In transistors |
| 33 | As | Arsenic | brittle metalloid | poisons, semiconductors, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) (GaAs), signal lights, tiny lasers | As herbicide and insecticide; Medical products; In solid-state electronics |
| 34 | Se | Selenium | brittle gray solid | semiconductors, photocopiers, laser printers, photocells, red glass, dandruff shampoo, rubber | In robotics and light meters; In photocopying; In shampoos |
| 35 | Br | Bromine | dark red liquid | disinfectant, pools and spas, photo film, flame retardant, leaded gas, sedatives | As a gasoline additive; As a pesticide; In photograph films |
| 36 | Kr | Krypton | inert gas | high-intensity lamps, headlights, flashlights, lanterns, "neon" tubes, l asers | In airport runway lights; In photographic flash bulbs |
| 37 | Rb | Rubidium | soft metal, reactive | atomic clocks, global navigation (GPS), vacuum tube scavenger | In television and cathode-ray tubes; A scavenger in vacuum systems |
| 38 | Sr | Strontium | soft metal | red fireworks, flares, phosphors, nuclear batteries, medical diagnostic tracer, nuclear fallout | Medical research |
| 39 | Y | Yttrium | soft metal | phosphors in color TVs, lasers (YAG, YLF), furnace bricks, high-temperature superconductors | In colour-television tubes; In solid-state lasers |
| 40 | Zr | Zirconium | non-corroding neutron-resistant metal | chemical pipelines, nuclear reactors, furnace bricks, abrasives, zircon gems | A semi-precious gem; In nuclear reactors |
| 41 | Nb | Niobium | high-melting-point non-corroding metal | chemical pipelines, superconductors, magnetic levitation trains, MRI magnets | In nuclear magnetic resonance scanners; For strengthening steel; In nuclear reactors |
| 42 | Mo | Molybdenum | high-melting-point metal | hard steel, cutting tools, drill bits, armor plate, gun barrels, fertilizer | Additive to steel; Engine parts for automobiles and aircraft; To generate techetium-99 in hospitals |
| 43 | Tc | Technetium | radioactive, long-lived | first human-made element, only traces on earth but found in stars, medical diagnostic tracer | Examining human organs in hospitals |
| 44 | Ru | Ruthenium | non-corroding hard metal | electric contacts, leaf switches, pen tips, catalyst, hydrogen production | Catalyst in industrial processes; In jewellery |
| 45 | Rh | Rhodium | non-corroding hard shiny metal | labware, reflectors, electric contacts, thermocouples, catalyst, pollution control | Additive for hardening platinum; In automobile catalytic converters; Catalyst in industrial processes |
| 46 | Pd | Palladium | non-corroding hard metal, absorbs hydrogen | labware, electric contacts, dentistry, catalyst, pollution control | Catalyst in industrial processes; In purifying hydrogen; In treating cancer |
| 47 | Ag | Silver (Argentum) | soft shiny metal, conducts electricity best of all elements | jewelry, silverware, coins, dentistry, photo film | In making wires, jewellery, and eating utensils; In electronics and dentistry;In photography film and coins |
| 48 | Cd | Cadmium | non-corroding soft metal, toxic | electroplated steel, nicad batteries, red and yellow paints, fire sprinklers | Electroplating of steel; In batteries; In nuclear reactors |
| 49 | In | Indium | soft metal | solders, glass seals, glass coatings, liquid crystal displays (LCD), semiconductors, diodes, photocells | In alloys with other metals; In nuclear reactors |
| 50 | Sn | Tin (Stanum) | non-corroding soft metal | solders, plated food cans, bronze (Cu-Sn), pewter cups, glassmaking, fire sprinklers | In tin foil sheets; As alloy agent to make bronze; In solder; In electrical connections |
| 51 | Sb | Antimony (Stibium) | brittle metalloid | solders, lead hardener, batteries, bullet, semiconductors, photocells, matches, flame retardant | In safety matches; In alloys to harden metals; As flame retardant |
| 52 | Te | Tellurium | brittle metalloid | alloys, semiconductors, photocopiers, computer disk, thermo-electric coolers and generators | Alloy with copper and stainless steel |
| 53 | I | Iodine | violet-black solid | disinfectant for wounds and drinking water, added to salt to prevent thyroid disease, photo film | Antiseptic solution; Additive for table salt; In photographic film and paper; In prostrate cancer treatment; Detection of starch |
| 54 | Xe | Xenon | inert gas | high-intensity lamps, headlights, stadium lamps, projectors, strobes, lasers, spacecraft ion engines | In electrical discharge tubes to produce light; In flashing strobe lamps |
| 55 | Cs | Cesium | soft metal, melts on a hot day, reactive, largest stable atoms | atomic clocks, global navigation (GPS), vacuum tube scavenger | In breathing apparatus of emergency workers; In vacuum systems; In official measure of time |
| 56 | Ba | Barium | soft metal, absorbs X-rays | stomach X-ray contrast enhancer, green fireworks, whitener and filler for paper | In radiology; Savenger in vacuum systems; In photographic papers |
| 57 | La | Lanthanum | soft metal | optical glass, telescope eyepieces, camera lenses, lighter flints, arc lamps | In high-intensity carbon arc lamps; In glass for optical |
| 58 | Ce | Cerium | soft metal | most abundant rare earth metal, lighter flints, arc lamps, gas lamp mantles, self-cleaning ovens, glass polishing | In high-intensity carbon arc lamps; In self-cleaning ovens |
| 59 | Pr | Praseodymium | soft metal | torchworkers' didymium eyeglasses, lighter flints, arc lamps, magnets, yellow glass | In high-intensity carbon arc lamps; As an alloy in auto and aircraft parts |
| 60 | Nd | Neodymium | soft metal | strong magnets (Nd-Fe-B), electric motors, speakers and headphones, lasers, lighter flints | In coloured glass; In making magnets |
| 61 | Pm | Promethium | radioactive, long-lived | human-made, small traces in nature, luminous dials, sheet thickness gauges | No known use |
| 62 | Sm | Samarium | soft metal | magnets (Sm-Co), electric motors, speakers and headphones, infrared sensors, infrared-absorbing glass | In permanent magnets; In special types of glass |
| 63 | Eu | Europium | soft metal | phosphors in color TVs and trichromatic fluorescent lamps, luminous paint, lasers | In colour television tubes and computer monitors; In fluorescence lamps |
| 64 | Gd | Gadolinium | soft metal, best neutron absorber, magnetic | magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast enhancer, phosphors, neutron radiography | In control rods for nuclear reactors; An alloy agent in special steels in neutron radiography |
| 65 | Tb | Terbium | soft metal | phosphors in color TVs and trichromatic fluorescent lamps, computer disks, magnetostrictive "smart" materials (Fe-Dy-Tb) (Terfenol-D®) | In special lasers; As an alloy in compact discs and high-definition X-ray screens |
| 66 | Dy | Dysprosium | soft metal | nuclear control rods, MRI phosphors, computer disks, magnetostrictive "smart" materials (Fe-Dy-Tb) (Terfenol-D®) | In colour television tubes and mercury lamps |
| 67 | Ho | Holmium | soft metal | infrared lasers, laser surgery, eye-safe laser rangefinders, computer disks, yellow glass filters | In coloured glass |
| 68 | Er | Erbium | soft metal | fiber optic signal amplifiers, infrared lasers, laser surgery, pink glass, sunglasses, vanadium alloys | An alloy with vanadium; In glass and inexpensive jewellery |
| 69 | Tm | Thulium | soft metal | rarest stable rare earth metal, infrared lasers, laser surgery, phosphors | In lasers |
| 70 | Yb | Ytterbium | soft metal | fiber optic signal amplifiers, infrared fiber lasers, stainless steel alloys | An alloy in stainless steel; In dentistry |
| 71 | Lu | Lutetium | soft metal, densest and hardest rare earth metal | No known use | |
| 72 | Hf | Hafnium | non-corroding metal, absorbs neutrons | nuclear reactor control rods in submarines, plasma torch electrodes | In reactor control rods; In incandescent lamps |
| 73 | Ta | Tantalum | high-melting-point non-corroding metal | labware, surgical tools, artificial joints, capacitors, mobile phones | In dental and medical surgery; In chemical equipment; In electolytic capacitors |
| 74 | W | Tungsten (Wolfram) | highest-melting-point metal, dense | filaments in lamps and TVs, cutting tools, abrasives, thermocouples | Filaments for light bulbs; In heating elements and rockets; In television tubes and computer monitors; To form an alloy with steel |
| 75 | Re | Rhenium | high-melting-point dense metal | rocket engines, heater coils, laboratory filaments, electric contacts, thermocouples, catalyst | An alloy agent; In thermocouples with tungsten |
| 76 | Os | Osmium | non-corroding high-melting-point hard metal, densest element (same as Ir) | electric contacts, pen tips, needles, fingerprint powder | To make hard alloys for electrical switch contacts and pen nibs |
| 77 | Ir | Iridium | non-corroding hard metal, densest element (same as Os) | labware, spark plugs, pen tips, needles | An alloy agent with platinum |
| 78 | Pt | Platinum | non-corroding dense metal | labware, spark plugs, catalyst, pollution control, petroleum cracking, processing fats | In jewellery; In dentistry; In petroleum refining; In other industries |
| 79 | Au | Gold (Aurum) | most malleable element, dense non-tarnishing colored metal | jewelry, coins, ultra-thin gold leaf, electric contacts | For coins; On space vehicles; In dentistry and electronics; In jewellery |
| 80 | Hg | Mercury (Hydrargium) | liquid metal, toxic | thermometers, barometers, thermostats, street lamps, fluorescent lamps, dentistry | In thermometers, barometers; and thermostats; In diffusion pumps; in dentistry; In fungicides and pesticides; for blasting caps |
| 81 | Tl | Thallium | soft metal, toxic | low-melting-point mercury alloys, low-temperature thermometers, undersea lamps, photocells | To treat skin disorders; In photoelectric cells and infrared detectors; In the diagnosis of diseases |
| 82 | Pb | Lead (Plumbum) | dense, soft, non-corroding metal, toxic | weights, solders, batteries, bullets, crystal glass, old plumbing, radiation shield | In storage batteries; Solder; In television screens; In paint; In crystal glass |
| 83 | Bi | Bismuth | low melting point, brittle metal | solders, fuses, fire sprinklers (plugs melt when hot), cosmetics pigment | In antacid medicines; In cosmetics; As an alloy agent |
| 84 | Po | Polonium | radioactive, long-lived | first radioactive element found, small traces in nature, anti-static brushes, tobacco | On dust-removal brushes; To produce neutrons without a nuclear reactor |
| 85 | At | Astatine | radioactive, short-lived | small traces in nature, cancer medicine | No known use |
| 86 | Rn | Radon | radioactive gas, short-lived | environmental hazard, surgical implants for cancer treatment | In cancer therapy |
| 87 | Fr | Francium | radioactive, short-lived, atoms larger than cesium | small traces in nature, studied in laser atom traps | No known use |
| 88 | Ra | Radium | radioactive, long-lived | luminous watches (now banned), medical radon production, radiography, radwaste | In cancer therapy |
| 89 | Ac | Actinium | radioactive, long-lived | small traces in nature, cancer medicine, neutron source, radwaste | Very limited use |
| 90 | Th | Thorium | radioactive, long-lived | most abundant radioactive element, nuclear reactor fuel, gas lamp mantles, tungsten filaments, radwaste | An alloy agent with magnesium; In electronic devices |
| 91 | Pa | Protactinium | radioactive, long-lived | small traces in nature, no uses, radwaste | No known use |
| 92 | U | Uranium | radioactive, long-lived, dense | nuclear reactor fuel, nuclear weapons, counterweights, armor-piercing bullets | To colour glass and ceramic glazes; In nuclear reactors; In antitank shells; Shielding against radiation |
| 93 | Np | Neptunium | radioactive, long-lived | small traces in nature, neutron detectors, dosimeters, possibly nuclear weapons, radwaste | No known use |
| 94 | Pu | Plutonium | radioactive, long-lived | small traces in nature, nuclear reactor fuel, nuclear weapons, radwaste | In bombs; In generation of power for electronic systems in satellites; For power for heart pacemakers |
| 95 | Am | Americium | radioactive, long-lived | never found in nature, smoke detectors, sheet thickness gauges, radwaste | Portable source of X-rays; In home smoke detectors |
| 96 | Cm | Curium | radioactive, long-lived | never found in nature, scientific instruments, mineral analyzers, radwaste | In pacemakers; In remote navigational buoys; In space missions |
| 97 | Bk | Berkelium | radioactive, long-lived | No known use | |
| 98 | Cf | Californium | radioactive, long-lived | never found in nature, scientific instruments, mineral analyzers, radwaste | Analysis of oil-bearing layers of earth; In analyzing of gold and silver |
| 99 | Es | Einsteinium | radioactive, short-lived | never found in nature, no uses | No known use |
| 100 | Fm | Fermium | radioactive, short-lived | never found in nature, no uses | No known use |
| 101 | Md | Mendelevium | radioactive, short-lived | never found in nature, no uses | No known use |
| 102 | No | Nobelium | radioactive, short-lived | never found in nature, no uses | No known use |
| 103 | Lr | Lawrencium | radioactive, short-lived | never found in nature, no uses | No known use |
| 104 | Rf | Rutherfordium | radioactive, short-lived | never found in nature, no uses | No known use |
| 105 | Db | Dubnium | radioactive, short-lived | never found in nature, no uses | No known use |
| 106 | Sg | Seaborgium | radioactive, short-lived | never found in nature, no uses | No known use |
| 107 | Bh | Bohrium | radioactive, short-lived | never found in nature, no uses | No known use |
| 108 | Hs | Hassium | radioactive, short-lived | never found in nature, no uses | No known use |
| 109 | Mt | Meitnerium | radioactive, short-lived | never found in nature, no uses | No known use |
| 110 | Ds | Darmstadtium | radioactive, short-lived | never found in nature, no uses | No known use |
| 111 | Rg | Roentgenium | radioactive, short-lived | never found in nature, no uses | No known use |
| 112 | Cn | Copernicium | radioactive, short-lived | never found in nature, no uses | No known use |
| 113 | | unnamed | radioactive, short-lived | never found in nature, no uses | No known use |
| 114 | | unnamed | never found in nature, no uses | No known use | |
| 115 | | unnamed | radioactive, short-lived | never found in nature, no uses | No known use |
| 116 | | unnamed | radioactive, short-lived | never found in nature, no uses | No known use |
| 117 | | unnamed | radioactive, short-lived | never found in nature, no uses | No known use |
| 118 | | unnamed | radioactive, short-lived | never found in nature, no uses (heaviest element yet made when this was written) | No known use |
On Sunday, October 17, 2010
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