Hafnium
Hafnium is a lustrous, silvery transition metal, atomic number 72. Always found with zirconium (very similar chemistry). High neutron absorption cross-section makes it ideal for nu…
Elements
Pure substances that cannot be broken down by chemical means
118 chemicals in this category
Hassium
Hassium is a synthetic radioactive transactinide element named after Hesse, Germany. Expected to behave similarly to osmium. First synthesised in 1984 at the GSI Helmholtz Centre.
Helium
Helium is the second lightest and second most abundant element in the universe. It is a colourless, odourless, non-toxic, inert noble gas with the lowest boiling point of any eleme…
Holmium
Holmium is a soft, silvery rare earth metal, atomic number 67. Has the highest magnetic moment of any naturally occurring element (10.6 Bohr magnetons). Used in strong magnets and …
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant element in the universe, making up about 75% of all normal matter by mass. It is a colourless, odourless, highly flammable diatomic gas a…
Indium
Indium is a soft, silvery-white post-transition metal, atomic number 49. Emits a high-pitched squeal when bent (indium cry). Critical material for thin-film solar cells (CIGS) and …
Iodine
Iodine is a lustrous purple-black non-metal halogen, atomic number 53. Sublimates readily to give a distinctive violet vapour. Essential trace element for thyroid hormone (thyroxin…
Iridium
Iridium is a hard, brittle, silvery-white platinum group metal, atomic number 77. The most corrosion-resistant metal known. Second densest element after osmium. The Cretaceous-Pale…
Iron
Iron is a lustrous, silver-grey transition metal, atomic number 26. The most used metal in the world - primarily as steel. Fourth most abundant element in Earth crust. Essential fo…
Krypton
Krypton is a colourless, odourless noble gas, atomic number 36. Chemically inert under normal conditions. Used in lighting and as a standard of length. Named from the Greek kryptos…
Lanthanum
Lanthanum is a soft, silvery-white rare earth metal, atomic number 57, and the first element of the lanthanide series. Highly reactive - tarnishes in air and reacts with water. La2…
Lawrencium
Lawrencium is the final member of the actinide series and a synthetic radioactive element named after Ernest Lawrence, inventor of the cyclotron. It was first synthesised in 1961 a…
Lead
Lead is a soft, dense, grey post-transition metal, atomic number 82. Used since antiquity. Major environmental and public health concern due to toxicity and persistence. Still exte…
Lithium
Lithium is the lightest metal and least dense solid element, atomic number 3. A soft, silvery-white alkali metal that reacts vigorously with water and tarnishes in air.
Livermorium
Livermorium is a synthetic radioactive element named after Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. First synthesised in 2000 through collaboration between Dubna and Livermore. Expe…
Lutetium
Lutetium is a hard, dense, silvery-white rare earth metal, atomic number 71. The heaviest and hardest lanthanide, due to lanthanide contraction. Lu-177 is increasingly important in…
Magnesium
Magnesium is a shiny grey alkaline earth metal, atomic number 12. Eighth most abundant element in Earth crust. Essential for life - central atom in chlorophyll. Burns with intensel…
Manganese
Manganese is a hard, brittle grey-white transition metal, atomic number 25. Essential trace element for all known living organisms. Important in steel production and as an oxidant …
Meitnerium
Meitnerium is a synthetic radioactive transactinide element named after physicist Lise Meitner. Expected to behave similarly to iridium. First synthesised in 1982 at GSI Darmstadt.
Mendelevium
Mendelevium is a synthetic radioactive actinide named after Dmitri Mendeleev, creator of the periodic table. First synthesised in 1955 at Berkeley by bombarding einsteinium-253 wit…