Chromium
Symbol – Cr
Atomic Number – 24
Atomic Mass – 51.996
Number of Protons – 24
Number of Neutrons – 28
Number of Electrons – 24
Melting Point – 1857 degrees Celsius
Boiling Point – 2672 degrees Celsius
Normal Point – Solid
Interesting Facts
a) Chromium has been known to reduce the risk of diabetes.
b) Brewers yeast, wheat germ, and kidney are high in Chromium.
c) It is added to steel to produce stainless steel.
d) Chromium was discovered while Louis Vauquelin was experimenting with a material called Siberian red lead.
e) Chromium is used widely as a green pigment.
f) It has a high melting point compared to other elements.
Chromium, an element in group 6, period 4, is very important to our everyday lives. It was found in 1797 by Louis Vauquelin, a native of France. Chromium was named for the Greek word "chroma" meaning color. It is useful in the process of making many common things, including plating for car parts, tools, knives, lasers, camouflage paints, stereos, and video tapes. There are more uses for chromium as well - it's used to harden steel, manufacture stainless steel, and to form alloys with iron, nickel, or cobalt. It adds strength and a lot of corrosion resistance. It is not just useful for non-living things - it is also used to maintain a healthy lifestyle in plants and animals. There is 0.0002% of chromium in the human body, and without it, we couldn't function. It is mainly mined in South Africa, Kazakhstan, India, Albania, and Turkey. It is the ninth most abundant element in Earth's crust. Another interesting fact about Chromium is that some of it's compounds are toxic, although the element itself is not. Chromium seemingly isn't one of the most expensive elements - it only costs about $10 per 100 grams. This is most likely because it is so abundant. To describe it's physical appearance, Chromium is a silvery-white metal. It has a lot of health benefits when included in foods, and we take in approximately one milligram per day. It helps us to use glucose. Chromium is very important to our lives.
Presented By: Meredith