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Definition of the Barium Element
A soft, silvery-white
alkaline-earth metal, used to deoxidize copper and in various
alloys.
Origin / Meaning of the name Barium
Originates from the Greek
word 'barys' meaning heavy. The oxide was at first called barote,
by Guyton de Morveau, which was changed by Antoine Lavoisier to
baryta, which was modified to "barium".
Classification of the Barium Element
Barium is classified
as an "Alkaline Earth Metals" which are located in Group 2
elements of the Periodic Table. An Element classified as an
Alkaline Earth Metals are found in the Earth’s crust, but not in
the elemental form as they are so reactive. Instead, they are
widely distributed in rock structures.
The
Discovery of Barium
Barium was discovered by in
1774 by Carl Scheele and extracted by Sir Humphrey Davy
in 1808
Facts about the History of the Barium
Element
Properties within each individual group are similar, but
nevertheless vary within a group. Generally chemical activity
decreases as the period increases a non-metal group and increases
as the period increases within a metal group. The first element in
a group is always an active metal, the last is always an inactive
non-metal.
Occurrence the Barium Element
Extracted from the mineral barite and whiterite
Oxidizes quickly in air
Associated Uses of Barium
Sparkplugs
Vacuum tubes
Fireworks
Fluorescent lamps
Paint
Rat poison
Medical Given orally as a barium meal or as an enema (enima) , to
increase the contrast of medical X-rays of the digestive system
Barium sulfate, hydroxide octahydrate, nitrate, carbonate
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