Cobalt | |
---|---|
Properties | |
Atomic symbol | Co |
Atomic number | 27 |
Classification | Transition metal |
Atomic mass | 58.9 amu |
Other Information | |
Date of discovery | 1737 |
Name of discoverer | George Brandt |
Name origin | From the German kobold. |
Uses | In magnets, medical radio-isotopes and (as a compound) blue or green pigment in ceramics and glasses. |
Obtained from | Cobaltine, erythrite, glaucodot, and skutterudite. |
Cobalt (KO-bolt) is a lustrous, silvery-blue metal which is magnetic.[1]
Melting Point: 2723 °F (1495 °C or 1768 K)
Boiling Point: 5301 °F (2927 °C or 3200 K)
Density: 8.86 grams per cubic centimeter
State of matter at Room Temperature: Solid[2]
Cobalt is a hard, brittle metal, which is similar in appearance to iron and nickel.[3]
The tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamen, who ruled from 1361-1352 BC, contained a small glass object colored deep blue with cobalt. Cobalt blue was known even earlier in China and was used for pottery glazes.[4] Modern cobalt was officially discovered by a Swedish chemist named Georg Brandt, in 1739.[5]
Cobalt is used in several alloys, including Alnico. These alloys are used in things like jet turbines and gas turbine generators. Cobalt salts have been used for centuries to give pottery and other items a blue color. Radioactive cobalt-60 is also useful to treat cancer and in some countries, to irradiate food for preservation.[6]
Periodic Table of the Elements | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | |||||||
27
Co 58.933 |
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*Lanthanides | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
**Actinides | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Categories: [Metals]