Gallium: melts in your hand.Gallium, element number 31, has a melting point of only 29.76 degrees Ce

Gallium: melts in your hand.Gallium, element number 31, has a melting point of only 29.76 degrees Celsius, meaning that it will melt in your hand if you hold it for long enough. Named after Gaul (Roman France) by the French chemist who discovered it in 1871, its existence and some key properties (including this one) were predicted by Mendeleev, the creator of the periodic table. It is a bright silvery brittle metal which shatters like glass. It also attacks the structure of other metals such as aluminium by infiltration of their crystalline lattice, making them brittle and weakening them to the point of rupture (see videos in links). It is also one of the rare substances, along with water, that actually expands when it freezes. Its melting point is one of those formally recognised as a reference by the International Bureau of weights and Measures.It does not exist in native form in nature, and is refined from bauxite and sphalerite, common aluminium and zinc ores. It is thought to be non toxic to humans, but you should take care playing with it as this hasn’t been studied in depth, and it may cause dermatitis. Its properties place it on the edge of being a metalloid, like bismuth or antimony.It is used in special alloys, solar cells, as a dopant in semiconductors, solders, mirrors and thermometers. Alloyed with aluminium it may help provide hydrogen to fuel the cells of future cars. Other metals liquid at or near room temperatures include mercury and caesium.LozImage credit: periodictable.ruhttp://avalonraremetals.com/rare_earth_metal/rare_metals/gallium/http://www.odditycentral.com/technology/gallium-the-rare-metal-that-melts-in-your-hand-and-attacks-other-metals.htmlhttp://gajitz.com/material-science-madness-crazy-metal-melts-in-your-hand/ -- source link

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