Rubidium
From CreationWiki, the encyclopedia of creation science
| Rubidium | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| General Info | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Atomic Symbol | Rb | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Atomic Number | 37 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Atomic Weight | 85.47 g/mol85.47 amu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chemical series | Alkali metals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearance | grey white 
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| Group, Period, Block | 1, 5, s | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electron configuration | [Kr] 5s1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electrons per shell | 2,8,18,8,1 
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| CAS number | 7440-17-7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Physical properties | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Phase | Solid | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Density | 1.532 g/ml | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Melting point | 38 °C311.15 K 100.4 °F 560.07 °R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boiling point | 688 °C961.15 K 1,270.4 °F 1,730.07 °R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Isotopes of Rubidium | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| All properties are for STP unless otherwise stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rubidium is a chemical element that was discovered by the German chemists Robert Bunsen and Gustav Kirchoff in 1861 while analyzing samples of the mineral lepidolite with a device called a spectroscope. The sample produced a set of deep red spectral lines they had never seen before. Bunsen found it by isolating the carbonate and chloride from the alkaline evaporates of mineral spring water. By reducing rubidium hydrogen tartrate with carbon, he also extracted rubidium metal.In the 1920's Rubidium was a rare metal but since the 21st century it is now abundant. Today, most rubidium is obtained as a byproduct of refining lithium. Rubidium comes from the Latin word rubinus meaning "deep red". Rubidium had no industrial applications until the 1920's when small amounts began to be used in photoelectric cells.
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Properties
Rubidium can be a liquid at room temperature. It is a soft silvery-white metallic element of the Alkali group and is the second most electropositive and alkaline element(after Cesium). It ignites spontaneously in air and reacts with extreme violence when it mixes with water [it sets fire to liberated hydrogen] - what makes Rubidium different to other alkali metals is that it can not be kept in an oxygenated room but if so it must be kept under a mineral blanket. As with other Alkali metals, it forms amalgams with mercury and alloys itself with gold, cesium, sodium, and potassium. It has a color of a yellowish flame with violet when it produces amalgams. Rubidium is also slightly radioactive even though it has not caused any major health concerns. But when exposed to a photographic plate from 1 to 2 months it becomes extremely radioactive.
Occurrences
One of earth's 16 most abundant elements (it is even more abundant than some other common elements such as lead or copper). Rubidium, may occur with cesium or lithium minerals such as pollucite or lepidolite (but Rubidium has no mineral sources of its own but makes up with its recoverable quantities in certain zoned pegmatites which other metals do not), respectively, commonly in association with pegmatites. There are also occurrences with evaporite minerals. It also occurs when the combustion of coal happens, and may release small amounts of rubidium to the atmosphere in gas form. In solid form it is sometimes found in small trace amounts in potassium bearing minerals such as: feldspar and mica, which is formed during the crystallization of pegmatites. Rubidium metal can be produced by reducing rubidium chloride with calcium among other methods. Rubidium is all over earth's crust and is bonded to 28% of the crust. Although rubidium is not used much, North America alone could have enough rubidium to last centuries.
Uses
Because Rubidium can be easily ionized, it is considered for ion engines "space vehicles", Rubidium is used as a "getter" in high suction vacuum tubes to be more specific it is a working fluid vapor for turbines. When used in film batteries it displays very interesting characteristics. Sometimes used for a more valuable resource such as an thermoelectric generator. Rubidium is also used for making special glasses (Rb,Ag4,I5). Other uses are: DNA separation, fiber optics, inorganic chemicals, lamps, night vision devices, a resonant element in atomic clocks ,the production of super oxide,Radioactive rubidium though is used as a tracer of blood flow, Rubidium salts have been used as soporifics and sedatives and for the treatment of epilepsy, and as standards for atomic absorption analysis. It is exceptionally useful as a laser cooler in vapor form. It is easy for scientist to use rubidium because it is an easy element to morph. Our human body's tends to treat Rb+ ions as if they were Potassium ions, and therefore concentrates Rubidium in the body's electrolytic fluid.
Additional Info
Rubidium once cost $25.00 a gram in 1997. Rubidium gives fireworks its purple color. Rubidium metal is marketed either as technical grade metal, minimum 99 percent rubidium, or high-purity grade, minimum 99.8 percent rubidium it will not be sold purely of itself.
References
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