Why is this element important in everyday life?
Leadis a very important element. Here are some uses in our everyday lives. lead shot is sewn into the bottom of curtains and jackets so that they hang straight. It is also placed in the keel of ship to keep it from rolling over. Used in lead vests to absorb X-rays. To mount heavy machinery to absorb shock. Used for ammunition Makes a good protective sheathing for underground electric cables Used to make paints and glazes shiny Used in batteries
Where is this element found in nature?
Although it is very non-reactive, lead is not found alone in nature. It forms many natural compounds, the most common being lead sulfide, or galena (PbS), lead carbonate, or cerussite (PbCO3), and lead sulfate, or anglesite (PbSO4).
Lead can also be found in hydrothermal veins, which are fissures in rock above magma chambers.
Lead is also sometimes found in limestone.
It is processed for used by doing the following process: First the lead compound (mostly galena) is heated in a hollowed-out carbon block. The lead melts and then cools to form a lead globule that can now be used.
What are the properties of the element?
General Characteristics =
Atomic Symbol = Pb
Period Number = 6
Group Number and Family Name = Group 14 , the Carbon Family
Atomic Number = 82
Atomic Mass =207.2 atomic mass units
Density =11.4 g/cm3
Melting Point =321.7° Celsius
Boiling Point =1740° Celsius
Electron Configuration =1s22s22p63s23p63d104s24p64d104f145s25d106s26p2
Shorthand Notation =[Xe]6s2
Common Reactions = very non-reactive
Interesting Information = used by ancient people for face paint. Most of these people died from lead poisoning
Who is ?
"Oh no!!!"
"My husband!!!"
"Someone's poisoned the water hole!!!"
It was a mess in Chemopolis. I, Detective Albert Mosely, was hired to solve the problem, and this is the story of what happened when I did…
When I got to my office Monday morning, everything was normal. The coffee was old and thick, and it still smelled like dust everywhere. I had just hung up my hat and sat down, when she came knocking at my door.
She sashayed into my office. Her name was Sue, although she commonly went by "S", and she was one foxy dame. Full, red lips, big baby blues, and legs that went on and on…sorry. I'm getting off track.
"Mr. Mosely," she purred, "I'm in some kind of trouble. Could you help me?"
She batted those big doe eyes at me. How could I resist?
"Sure, sweetie. How can I be of your assisstance?"
"Haven't you heard? People everywhere are dying, all over the city. Including my fiancee`."
She began to cry, so I had to comfort her. I put my arm around her.
"It'll be OK, I told her. "Detective Albert Mosely is on the job." I grabbed my hat, and trench, jumped in my Model T, and went to investigate the situation…
When I got downtown, I found that all hell had broken loose. People were sick and dying in the streets all over the city!! I decided to talk to the head doctor at the scene, Dr. Egghead.
"Dr. Egghead, can you give me some idea of what is going on?", I asked.
"Well," said Dr. Egghead, "we believe that these citizens are the victims of toxic substance which has incapacitated them and caused their ailment and expiration." (huh?)
" Could you say that in English, please?"
"In layman's terms, they've been subject to poison."
"Any idea what kind?"
"We do not know for certain, as the results have not come from the laboratory yet, but my colleagues and I suspect lead."
"Can these people be helped?"
"I am afraid that we can do nothing if it is lead. Chemopolis has not given adequate funding for medical practioners to fully test treatments for lead poisoning."
The game was afoot. I knew that this could not have happened by natural causes. Some evil was behind this, and I was determined to find out who…
Back in my office, I pulled out my files of all those who have been convicted of poisoning before. It was a small list; only consisted of two people, one of which who was dead. That left only one person: Patricia "Leadfoot" Brown. (I always knew women were bad news.), Her nickname had me wondering. Leadfoot…hmmmm. I decided to check out the situation.
I headed to the slums of Chemopolis, where Patricia lived. I found her house. The lights were on, but no one was home. The place was completely empty, like it had been packed up. I decided to talk to some of her neighbors.
I knocked on the door of an equally ratty house. A huge greasy man answered the door, surrounded by a ring of cigar smoke
"What do you want?" he demanded.
trying to look taller than my meek 5'2" stature, I answered, "Kind sir. You seem like a smart man. Do you have any idea what happened to your neighbor, Patricia?"
"Yeah. She moved down the street 7 years ago." He pointed to house only two doors down. It was just as crappy as the first.
"Thanks for your time sir."
The man grunted and slammed the door in my face.
I went to the house and knocked, and who should be sitting there but Patricia "Leadfoot" Brown herself! What luck!!!
"So been up to anything lately," I asked nonchalantly.
"So we meet again," she snarled. " What do you want?"
"What do you know about the poisoning downtown?"
"Poisoning? What poisoning?"
"Don't play dumb with me. People are dying all over from lead poisoning."
She looked genuinely sad. "Oh no. I just returned form my trip to the Poconos and my bag was so heavy, so I set I down, and it fell into the water lines. It must have caused the poisoning!!!" She put her head in her hands and cried.
"Well people are dying Dr. Egghead says that there is no cure."
"Wait! The reason I was in the Poconos was to take a class on herbal medicine. I know how to cure it!"
"Well let's get down there and fix it!"
"OK!!!!" She ran to another room and came back carrying bottles. "Here's the stuff."
We jumped into my Model T and sort of put-putted more than sped downtown. When we gave Dr. Egghead the bottles, he was stunned. 'How did you do it?', he wanted to know, but Patricia wouldn't give away the secret. The medicine was distributed and no one else died. Maybe more important, however, was the fact that Patricia Brown was named a hero, and a statue was erected in her honor. I was made of what else, lead. Patty (what she preferred to be called)had turned over a new leaf and was no longer in the crime scene. She in fact was very talented and proved to be good at all 13 ao the new jobs she got. This showed everyone that lead, even though it had some good qualities, was more good than bad. Maybe someday I'll get a new car…
