Atomic number: 26
Symbol: Fe
Category: transition metal
Density at 25°C: solid 7.874 g·cm−3
Iron is a well known element known even into antiquity. It is the most common element on Earth making up almost the entire interior of the planet. Though on the crust it is the fourth most common element. Iron is also important in biology, particularly as part of haem for carrying oxygen in the blood.
chunks of pure iron. image adapted from wikipedia
Use, natural applications or common combinations:
- In life processes, blood
- Steel production, steel is an alloy of iron that has different grades depending on carbon content.
- The Iron age was an important technological era for early people.
Basic characteristics:
- Standard atomic weight: 55.845(2)
- Melting point: 1538 °C
- Boiling point: 2862 °C
- Radioactivity: almost all stable naturally