Ethan+Smith+-+Lead

Lead By: Ethan Smith = = Lead is a very versatile element. It is soft and malleable, so it is easily shaped and formed. It is also corrosion resistant, even the Ancient Romans used it for their water pipes, and they still work! It is represented by Pb and has an atomic number of 82. Lead is used to make car batteries, bullets, cable covers, and more.

Lead was one of the earliest metals discovered by mankind being discovered in 3000 B.C. One of the first uses for lead lining water pipes and baths for the Ancient Romans. Also, the name "Lead" came from the old Latin word "Plumbum". This Latin word has led to the terms: Plumber, Plumb Bob, Plumb Line, and also explains Lead's chemical symbol Pb. Another interesting history fact about lead is that it was used for pots when making and boiling wine during Caesar's time. Some scholars and scientists suggest that lead being used instead of copper for wine-making is what led Julius Caesar to only having one child, and his son, Caesar Augustus, being fully sterile.

Lead is a metal that is very easy to shape and form and has a low melting point, so it is good for molding things such as bullets. Although lead is malleable, it is still dense and very durable in the right conditions. Lead also has a very long life-span, even lead roofs have been known to last up to 300 years. Lead is also very corrosive-resistant and does not generally have reactions to acids or compounds, but it is corrosive to certain alkalis like lime mortar and uncured concrete. Lead is used for making many things. Its older uses were for roofs, pipes, and paint. One of the downsides of lead being used in paint is that it caused lead poisoning and many people got sick from it. Lead is no longer used for paint, but is used for making a softer type of glass that is easier to work with, bullets, and radiation shields. Lead's main purpose is making batteries, specifically car batteries, that are very long-lasting. The chemistry for the lead-acid battery has been proven and provides the best or power and life in its price range.

As you can see, lead is a very important and useful metal. It was even very useful during the ancient Roman times for piping, which still works today! Lead is also very easy to use, because it malleable, making it easy to form into products. It has many modern uses, such as the battery that starts your car every morning, the bullets that kill your deer, squirrels, and ducks, and many more. So it easy to tell that the world is a much better place with the discovery of lead. = = = = HOW A LEAD-ACID BATTERY WORKS = media type="youtube" key="rhIRD5YVNbs" width="392" height="219" align="center"

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<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">Pictures:

. N.p.. Web. 23 Sep 2013. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Calcite-Galena-elm56c.jpg>.

. N.p.. Web. 23 Sep 2013. <http://www.re-innovation.co.uk/web12/images/stories/11244127_lead_acid_batteries.jpg>.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 18px;">Video:

. Youtube, 3 6 2012. Web. 23 Sep 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhIRD5YVNbs>.

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