CADMIUM
Cadmium was discovered in 1817 in Germany by a chemist Friedrich Stohmeyer. The name "cadmium" comes from the Latin word "calamine" and the Greek word "kadmeia". Both of which mean zinc carbonate (ZnCO3).
Cadmium and Zinc are very similar. Cadmium was discovered from zinc carbonate. Stohmeyer found that there were some impurities in the samples of ZnCO3 and these sample changed colors when heated, which ZnCO3 does not. Stohmeyer was able to isolate the cadmium by "roasting and reduction of the sulphide"
Cadmium is very toxic. A little bit is used as coatings to metals like iron. Only a little Cadmium is used because of environmenal reasons. Cadmium can be found in Ni-Cd batteries.It is also found in nuclear reactors. Cadmium is also used in black and white tv's and blue and green phosphors for color tv tubes. It is found in many forms like foil, pellets, seets,rods,wire, and sticks. Even though Cadmium is a Transition Metal, it can still easily cut with a knife.
Some of the coumpounds formed from Cadmium are:
Flourides- CdF2
Chlorides- CdCl2
Bromides- CdBr2
Iodines- CdI2
Hydrides- CdH2
Oxides- CdO
Sulfides- CdS
Selenides- CdSe
Tellurides- CdTe-
Nitrides-Cd3N2
Facts about Cadmium
- Symbol~Cd
- Atomic Number~48
- Atomic Mass~112.411g
- Number of Neutrons~64
- Number of Protons~48
- Number of Electrons~48
- Color~Silvery Grey Metallic
- Classification~Transition Metal
- Melting Point: 320.9 °C
- Boiling Point: 765.0 °C (1038.15 °K, 1409.0 °F)
- Crystal Structure: Hexagonal
- Number of Energy Levels: 5
Useful Links for Cadmium
Mr Pope's Website
Learn about other transition metals like Cadmium
Some useful info about Cadmium
More Stuff on Cadmium
