Bismuth+Katie+Goggins

 Bismuth is the 83rd element on the periodic table and has been known to exist for centuries. It is a relatively rare element, but there are certain places where large quantities of this material can be found. It has properties that are similar to other elements, but it also possesses many unique properties. The compounds of this element are very useful and are used in many products. Itis used by the military because it has unique and powerful properties. Bismuth helps shape the world we live in and will continue to do so in the future.

 Bismuth has been known to exist since ancient times, but was normally confused with lead, antimony, silver and tin. During the middle ages, it was believed to be a substance that was developing into silver. They believed that with time, the substance would transform into a piece of valuable silver. The word Bismuth was derived from the German word, Weisse Masse, which means white mass. Over the following years, this evolved into Wismuth, and later into Bisemutum. It was called Bismuth when it was recognized as a separate metal. Bismuth was officially discovered in France by Claude Francois Geoffroy in 1753.

 This element is moderately rare, but there are certain places on the Earth’s crust where you can find vast quantities of it. Bolivia, Canada, England, Germany, China, Peru and Mexico are all major producers of Bismuth. There is approximately two times as much Bismuth as there is gold on the Earth’s crust. Bismuth is found within raw gold, silver, lead, tin and copper ores. A lead refinery in Nebraska produces large amounts of Bismuth while processing lead. During the refinery process, the ores are melted down and the Bismuth is removed as a byproduct. This is the easiest way to produce large quantities of Bismuth. There is approximately 1 part-per-billion more Bismuth in the solar system than on Earth.

 Bismuth is essential to life continuing as the modern world knows it. It is used in the military, healthcare, and in metal appliances. Small quantities of Bismuth can be mixed into other metals, such as aluminum or steel, to make them more malleable. This affects economies around the world by bringing down the prices of appliances. It is also used an alternative for lead in grease, copper wiring and paint. This keeps people much safer by decreasing the chance of them being unintentionally poisoned. After all, Bismuth has a very low toxicity compared to other heavy metals. Bismuth also keeps people safe it is used in automatic fire sprinklers and other fire detection systems. A Chart of the Uses of Bismuth  Bismuth can be formed into a certain compound that targets leukemia cancer cells. In a test done by the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, this compound was found to be beneficial with few side affects in 74% of the patients. Bismuth is also an important ingredient in Pepto-Bismol.It is also used in the treatment of digestive problems, including peptic ulcers, which are sores in the stomach which causes inflammation. The bacteria that causes this will lodge itself in the mucus of the stomach so that it will not be affected by stomach acid. The Bismuth will coat the bacteria so that it is sectioned off from the rest of the stomach. Small amounts of Bismuth combined with antibiotics will heal the peptic ulcer with only a small risk of gastrointestinal bleeding.

There is also a very mysterious property that Bismuth has that makes it useful to the military. Bismuth and Graphite are highly diamagnetic elements. A diamagnetic substance has properties that are similar to a magnet, except that the diamagnetic substance has a weaker magnetic field. Diamagnetic objects can be arranged in certain configurations which have the ability to levitate an object. This phenomena is called diamagnetic levitation. Diamagnetic levitation allows a person to levitate a metal cube between two sheets of Bismuth.

 Bismuth is an extremely important element that is in almost everything. It exists in small amounts within the human body, it is in our appliances and it is in the medicines that people take. This element saves lives when it is used in leukemia treatments. It is also used in various kinds of digestive medicines and treatments. It exists everywhere in small amounts, but there are places where you can locate large quantities of this element. Bismuth is currently shaping the world we live in and will continue to shape our futures, whatever they might be. A Bismuth Crystal in its Stair-Step form media type="custom" key="23890342" An Example of Diamagnetic Levitation Advertisement: http://prezi.com/ijpz3mdjqfgk/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Extra Credit: @http://www.glogster.com/kmgoggins/polotium-katie-goggins-extra-credit/g-6kftltqe9evq2v7ao8e2da6

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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Sanderson, Thomas. "Bismuth (Bi) (chemical Element)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> Britannica, n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2013. <[]>.

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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">"What Is Xeroform™ Gauze?" WiseGEEK. WiseGEEK, n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2013. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> <[]>.

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