Mercury
Mercury is a silvery-white liquid metal at room temperature, atomic number 80. The only metallic element that is liquid at standard conditions. Highly toxic - accumulates in the fo…
Elements
Pure substances that cannot be broken down by chemical means
118 chemicals in this category
Molybdenum
Molybdenum is a silvery, hard transition metal, atomic number 42. Has the sixth-highest melting point of all elements. Essential trace element for most organisms (component of moly…
Moscovium
Moscovium is a synthetic radioactive element named after Moscow Oblast, Russia. First synthesised in 2003 through collaboration between the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in …
Neodymium
Neodymium is a bright, silvery rare earth metal, atomic number 60. Best known for neodymium magnets (Nd2Fe14B) - the strongest type of permanent magnet. Also used in high-powered l…
Neon
Neon is a colourless, odourless noble gas, atomic number 10. Chemically inert. Glows characteristic reddish-orange when excited by electricity. Second lightest noble gas. Obtained …
Neptunium
Neptunium is the first transuranic element, created artificially in 1940 by bombarding uranium with neutrons. It is found in trace quantities in uranium ores as a decay product. It…
Nickel
Nickel is a hard, lustrous, silvery-white transition metal, atomic number 28. Corrosion resistant and highly valued in alloys. Responsible for most cases of contact dermatitis (nic…
Nihonium
Nihonium is a synthetic radioactive element named after Nihon (Japan), where it was first synthesised in 2004 at RIKEN. It is the first element discovered in Asia.
Niobium
Niobium is a soft, grey, ductile transition metal, atomic number 41. Also called columbium in North America. Most important use is in steel alloys for pipelines and structural stee…
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a colourless, odourless diatomic gas, atomic number 7, comprising 78% of Earth atmosphere. The N triple bond is one of the strongest in chemistry. Essential for all liv…
Nobelium
Nobelium is a synthetic radioactive actinide named after Alfred Nobel. It was first correctly synthesised in 1966 at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia, and …
Oganesson
Oganesson is a synthetic radioactive element and the heaviest known element, named after physicist Yuri Oganessian. First synthesised in 2002 at Dubna. Despite being in the noble g…
Osmium
Osmium is a hard, lustrous, blue-grey transition metal, atomic number 76. The densest naturally occurring element (22.59 g/cm3). Osmium tetroxide (OsO4) is extremely toxic and vola…
Oxygen
Oxygen is a colourless, odourless diatomic gas, atomic number 8, the most abundant element in Earth crust (46% by mass). Essential for aerobic respiration and combustion. Supports …
Palladium
Palladium is a soft, silvery-white platinum group metal, atomic number 46. Notable for its ability to absorb large volumes of hydrogen (up to 900 times its own volume). Key catalys…
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is a non-metal, atomic number 15, with several allotropes. White phosphorus (P4) is extremely reactive and toxic; red phosphorus is stable. Essential for life - forms ba…
Platinum
Platinum is a dense, malleable, silvery-white precious metal, atomic number 78. Highly resistant to corrosion and oxidation. An excellent catalyst - essential in catalytic converte…
Plutonium
Plutonium is a radioactive actinide metal first synthesised in 1940. Plutonium-239 is fissile and is used in nuclear weapons and as reactor fuel. It is one of the most studied of a…
Polonium
Polonium is a highly radioactive metalloid, atomic number 84. Discovered by Marie and Pierre Curie in 1898 and named after Poland. Polonium-210 is an intense alpha emitter used as …
Potassium
Potassium is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal, atomic number 19. Highly reactive with water. Essential element for all living organisms - maintains cellular electrical potential …