Everything Matters | Scandium | Ron Hipschman | Exploratorium

Описание: Come be in your elements with Exploratorium host and scientific raconteur Ron Hipschman. Follow tales of intrigue and invention, join in dynamic demonstrations, and uncover fascinating connections between individual elements and our collective human experience.

A transition metal found mixed among rare earth elements, scandium is thinly scattered across the globe, and is considered expensive and difficult to obtain. Its existence was predicted by Dmitri Mendeleev, known as the father of the Periodic Table, in 1869. In his groundbreaking Periodic System, Mendeleev determined a gap between the atomic weights of calcium and titanium would be bridged by an unknown element he termed ekaboron. Lars Frederick Nilsen confirmed this prediction in 1879, naming his discovery for the Scandinavian Peninsula where it was found. Pure scandium was ultimately isolated in 1937.

Alloyed with aluminum, scandium strengthens jet planes and high-end bicycle frames but is too costly (6.5 times the value of gold) for widespread applications. And although pure scandium is seldom seen, its compounds are used in film set lamps and stadium lights to simulate natural sunlight.