Beryllium

Beryllium
Properties
Atomic symbol	Be
Atomic number	4
Classification	Standard Metal
Atomic mass	9.01 amu
Other Information
Date of discovery	1798
Name of discoverer	Fredrich Wohler
Name origin	Derived from the mineral Beryl.
Uses	Spacecrafts, aircrafts, and missiles.
Obtained from	Beryl or Chrysoberyl.

Beryllium is the chemical element with atomic number 4. Its symbol is Be.

Chemical Properties

Beryllium melts at 1560 Kelvin (K) and boils at 2742K. In its solid elemental form it is metallic.

Isotopes

There is only one stable isotope of beryllium, ⁹Be. A second isotope, ¹⁰Be, is commonly produced in Earth's atmosphere and accumulates at the surface of the soil. ¹⁰Be currently has a half-life of 1.36 million years and decays through proton capture to form ¹⁰B, a boron isotope. Evolutionists claim that ¹⁰Be abundance can be used to measure the age of geological features through radiometric dating.

Occurrence in Nature

Beryllium is very scarce in nature; it has an estimated occurrence of one part per billion (ppb) throughout the universe. It does not occur naturally in a pure form, only in a compound with other elements. Beryllium is a component in many gemstones.

Uses

Metallic beryllium is transparent to most wavelengths of X-ray and gamma radiation, which makes it valuable in applications such as X-ray imaging systems. It is also used in the production of mirrors, especially for orbiting telescopes, and in loudspeaker components. As beryllium is non-magnetic it is important in the manufacture of equipment for bomb disposal technicians.

Hazards

Contact with, or inhalation of, metallic beryllium is extremely dangerous. The metal is toxic and has also been linked to a number of cancers.