The first metals that man discovered were gold, copper and silver. They have been used since ancient times. What are these substances? What is the lightest metal?
Metals
For the first time, man discovered metals that are close to the earth's surface. At first it was copper, gold and silver, later they were joined by tin, iron, bronze and lead. With the development of mankind, the list gradually expanded. About 94 metals have been discovered so far.
They are simple elements that have high electrical conductivity and heat transfer, ductility, can be forged, have a characteristic metallic sheen. In nature, they are often found in the form of various compounds and ores.
By their qualities, metals are divided into ferrous, non-ferrous and precious. For use, they are separated from the ore, cleaned, alloyed and other types of processing are carried out. Metals are part of living organisms, present in sea water.
In our body they are in small quantities, performing important functions for life. There is copper in the liver, calcium in the skeleton and teeth, sodium inin the cytoplasm of cells, iron is part of the blood, and magnesium is in the muscles.
The lightest metal
In the minds of many people, the opinion of metals as strong, solid and heavy substances has been entrenched. Some of them do not fit the given description at all. There are a number of metals that have low strength and extreme lightness for these elements. They can even float on the surface of the water.
The lightest metal in the world is lithium. At room temperature, its density is the lowest. It yields to water almost twice and is 0.533 grams per cubic centimeter. Due to its low density, it floats in water and kerosene.
Lithium is found in sea water and upper continental crust. In large quantities, the lightest metal is present in the Thorn-Zhitkov stellar object, which consists of a supergiant and a red giant.
Under normal conditions, lithium is a ductile, malleable, silvery metal so soft that it can be cut with a knife. Melts at 181 degrees Celsius. It is toxic and actively interacts with the environment, therefore it is not used in its pure form.
Aluminum
After lithium, aluminum is the lightest metal and is also very strong. Due to its active use in various fields, it has earned the title of "metal of the 20th century". In the crust of our planet, it is the third most common element and the first among metals.
Aluminum has a silvery white color, high ductility,thermal and electrical conductivity. Able to form alloys with almost any metal. It is most commonly used in conjunction with magnesium and copper. Many of its alloys are stronger than steel.
Aluminum is weakly corrosive due to the formation of oxide films. It boils at 2500 degrees Celsius. It is a weak paramagnet. In nature, the metal is found in the form of compounds, its nuggets are extremely rare in the vents of some volcanoes.
Easier than easy
Microlattis is the lightest artificially produced metal. It is 99.99% air and much lighter than foam. The metal was created by scientists at the University of California, in 2016 it was officially recognized and entered into the Book of Records.
The secret of unusual lightness lies in its structure, reminiscent of the bones of living organisms. The metal is a cell that is made of nickel-phosphorus tubes. They are empty inside, and their thickness is several times inferior to a human hair.
Despite its lightness, microlattis is able to withstand heavy loads as well as natural metals. Such properties could have wide application, one of them is the creation of artificial lungs.
