Iridium - Tales from the Periodic Table

Iridium is the second most dense metal of all the elements at 22.56 grams per cubic centimeter, only exceeded by Osmium by a mere 0.03 grams per cubic centimeter. This is extremely dense at twice the density of Lead! Iridium is a member of the transition metals and part of the Platinum Group in the middle of the periodic table. It's exceeding rare and expensive, severely limiting its applications. Having said this you can still find Iridium in the tips of fountain pens, and spark plugs.

[@greegearl1542]

Thank you for sparking our interest in the element iridium.

[@ronhipschman]

Ouch... Ron

[@CerrahMendelsohn]

Thank you for such a great presentation. learned so much! i Love those Platinum metals

[@ronhipschman]

Thanks Cerrah! Gold is on its way... Ron

[@foo0815]

The Iridium satellites were called so because originally 77 of them were planned to orbit earth, like the 77 electrons in an Iridium atom.

[@ronhipschman]

Thanks for that! Great info. I wonder why they never made it to 77. Probably found it worked with what they had launched. Ron

[@meisterrama]

Good stuff as usual Ron

[@ronhipschman]

Thanks Mr. Meisterama! Ron

[@Skizziks_MAD]

My recent motorcycle trip took me past a chance to see the K-Pg boundary in Drumheller, Alberta and right through Sudbury, Ontario. I did not go see the K-Pg and did not even know about Science North, so obviously I should do it all over again the right way!

[@Skizziks_MAD]

Ron if this sounds familiar I told you about it at Happy Hour one Friday last month. This is my top secret KZbin alias.

[@ronhipschman]

Good excuse for another trip through Canada! Ron

[@EarthnikNews]

Thanks for clearing up that phone thing . . . they almost duped me.

[@sillysad3198]

a chart of liquid ranges would be nice to look at

[@ronhipschman]

I fear that I already have too many of those charts! (I can make one up, but it won't match Theo Gray's format exactly...) Ron

[@sydhenderson6753]

It never occurred to me before, but the standard kilogram must have been pretty small in size, given the density of iridium and platinum. Someday, if we go mining asteroids, we may crash the price of iridium. It's fairly rare in meteorites, but positively common compared with the Earth's crust. Most of the little we have is in the Earth's core, like the elements surrounding it.

[@ronhipschman]

I can't imagine the cost of mining asteroids will make it any cheaper, however! Ron

[@sydhenderson6753]

@@ronhipschman Maybe so, especially since you have to refine everything else in the metal asteroid. Still, several companies are going for it. It looks to me like iridium is the rarest element in the the Earth's crust that isn't a noble gas or radioactive.

[@irfanjan9834]

3:37

[@desmond3828]

Fluorine please!

[@ronhipschman]

I think I've answered this inquiry already. I will NOT be getting to Fluorine anytime soon. Sorry. Thanks, Ron

[@desmond3828]

I understand, thank you, and I appreciate your teaching style@@ronhipschman

[@myriaddsystems]

Iridium "Undetected in the oceans".. So that layer of iridium coating the rocks, currently submerged in the Gulf of Mexico- you know- the Chicxulub crater off the Yucatan peninsula- where a massive asteroid hit the earth approximately sixty million years ago- doesn't exist does it?? I've had enough - your smug presentation just lost my subscription...

[@ronhipschman]

Iridium in a rock layer does not equal iridium dissolved in the ocean. Sorry to see you leave. I'll miss my only troll. Ron