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The densest substance in the world. Substance records. The most corrosive acid

The most expensive metal in the world and the densest substance on the planet

Posted on 02/01/2012 (valid until 02/01/2013)

There are a lot of different metals and precious stones in nature, the cost of which is very high for most of the inhabitants of the planet. About precious stones, people more or less have an idea of which are the most expensive, which are most valued. But, here's how things are with metals, most people, apart from gold and platinum, no longer know expensive metals. What is the most expensive metal in the world? People's curiosity has no boundaries, they are in search of answers to the most interesting questions. Finding out the cost of the most expensive metal on the planet is not a problem, since this is not classified information.

Most likely, this is the first time you hear this name - the isotope Osmium of the 1870s. This chemical element is the most expensive metal in the world. You could see the name of this chemical element in the periodic table at number 76. Osmium isotope is the most dense substance on the planet. Its density is 22.61 g / cm 3. Under normal standard conditions, osmium is silvery in color and has a pungent odor. This metal belongs to the group of platinum metals. This metal is used in the manufacture of nuclear weapons, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, and sometimes in jewelry.

But now the main question is - how much is the most expensive metal in the world? Now its cost on the black market is $ 200,000 per gram. Since obtaining the isotope of the 1870s is a very difficult task, few people will undertake this task. Earlier, in 2004, Kazakhstan officially offered one gram of pure Osmium isotope for $ 10,000. Kazakhstan once became the first expert on expensive metal, no other country offered this metal for sale anymore.

Osmium was discovered by the English chemist Smithson Tennant in 1804. Osmium is obtained from enriched raw materials of platinum metals by calcining this concentrate in air at temperatures of 800-900 degrees Celsius. And until now, scientists replenish the periodic table, receiving elements with incredible properties.

Many will say that there is even more expensive metal - this is California 252. The price of California 252 is $ 6,500,000 per gram. But, it is worth considering the fact that the world stock of this metal is only a few grams. So, as it is produced only at two reactors in Russia and the United States at 20-40 micrograms per year. But, its properties are very impressive: 1 μg of californium gives more than 2 million neutrons per second. In recent years, this metal has been used in medicine as a point source of neutrons for local treatment of malignant tumors.

Space. There is nothing more interesting and mysterious. Day after day, humanity is increasing its knowledge of the universe, while simultaneously expanding the boundaries of the unknown. Having received ten answers, we ask a hundred more questions - and so on all the time. We have collected the most Interesting Facts about the universe, in order not only to satisfy the curiosity of readers, but also to rekindle their interest in the universe with renewed vigor.

The moon is running away from us

The moon is moving away from the Earth - yes, our satellite "runs away" from us at a speed of about 3.8 centimeters per year. What is it fraught with? As the radius of the lunar orbit increases, the size of the lunar disk seen from Earth decreases. This means that such a phenomenon as a total solar eclipse is under threat.

In addition, some planets revolve from their star at a distance suitable for the existence of liquid water. And this makes it possible to detect planets suitable for life. And in the near future.

Than they write in space

American scientists and astronauts for a long time thought about the device of a pen, which could be written in space - while their Russian colleagues simply decided to use an ordinary slate pencil in zero gravity, without changing it in any way and without spending huge sums on the development of concepts and experiments.

Diamond showers

According to Jupiter and Saturn, there are diamond rains - thunder is constantly raging in the upper atmosphere of these planets, and lightning strikes release carbon from methane molecules. Moving to the surface of the planet and overcoming hydrogen layers, being subjected to gravity and enormous temperatures, carbon turns into graphite, and then into diamond.

If you believe this hypothesis, the gas giants can accumulate up to ten million tons of diamonds! At the moment, the hypothesis still remains controversial - many scientists are sure that the proportion of methane in the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn is too small, and, having hardly transformed even into soot, methane, most likely, simply dissolves.

These are just a few of huge amount mysteries of the universe. Thousands of questions remain unanswered, we still do not know about millions of phenomena and secrets - our generation has something to strive for.

But we will try to tell more about space on the pages of the site. Subscribe to updates so as not to miss the new release!

Osmium is currently identified as the heaviest substance on the planet. Just one cubic centimeter of this substance weighs 22.6 grams. It was discovered in 1804 by the English chemist Smithson Tennant; when the gold was dissolved in After, a sediment remained in the test tube. This was due to the peculiarity of osmium, it is insoluble in alkalis and acids.

The heaviest element on the planet

It is a bluish-white metallic powder. In nature, it occurs in the form of seven isotopes, six of them are stable and one is unstable. The density is slightly superior to iridium, which has a density of 22.4 grams per cubic centimeter. Of the materials found to date, the heaviest substance in the world is osmium.

It belongs to a group such as lanthanum, yttrium, scandium and other lanthanides.

More expensive than gold and diamonds

Very little is produced, about ten thousand kilograms per year. Even the largest source of osmium, the Dzhezkazgan deposit, contains about three ten-millionth shares. The exchange value of a rare metal in the world reaches about 200 thousand dollars per gram. At the same time, the maximum purity of the element during the purification process is about seventy percent.

Although in Russian laboratories it was possible to obtain a purity of 90.4 percent, the amount of metal did not exceed a few milligrams.

Density of Matter Outside of Planet Earth

Osmium is unquestionably the leader of the heaviest elements on our planet. But if we turn our gaze to space, then our attention will open a lot of substances heavier than our "king" of heavy elements.

The fact is that conditions exist in the Universe that are somewhat different than on Earth. The gravity of the row is so great that the substance is incredibly thickened.

If we consider the structure of the atom, it will be found that the distances in the interatomic world are somewhat reminiscent of the space we see. Where planets, stars and others are at a fairly large distance. The rest is occupied by emptiness. This is exactly the structure that atoms have, and with strong gravity this distance decreases quite strongly. Up to "pressing" some elementary particles into others.

Neutron stars - superdense objects in space

In a search beyond our Earth, we will be able to detect the heaviest matter in space on neutron stars.

These are quite unique space inhabitants, one of the possible types of stellar evolution. The diameter of such objects ranges from 10 to 200 kilometers, with a mass equal to our Sun or 2-3 times more.

This cosmic body mainly consists of a neutron core, which is composed of fluid neutrons. Although, according to some assumptions of scientists, it should be in a solid state, reliable information does not exist today. However, it is known that exactly neutron stars, reaching their compression redistribution, subsequently turn into with a colossal release of energy, of the order of 10 43 -10 45 joules.

The density of such a star is comparable, for example, to the weight of Mount Everest, placed in a matchbox. This is hundreds of billions of tons per cubic millimeter. For example, to make it more clear how high the density of matter is, let's take our planet with its mass of 5.9 × 1024 kg and "turn" it into a neutron star.

As a result, in order to equal the density of a neutron star, it must be reduced to the size of an ordinary apple, 7-10 centimeters in diameter. The density of unique stellar objects increases with moving towards the center.

Layers and density of matter

The outer layer of a star is presented in the form of a magnetosphere. Directly below it, the density of matter already reaches the order of one ton per cubic centimeter. Given our knowledge of Earth, it is currently the heaviest element found. But don't jump to conclusions.

Let's continue our exploration of unique stars. They are also called pulsars due to their high rotation speed around their axis. This indicator for various objects ranges from several tens to hundreds of revolutions per second.

Let us proceed further in the study of superdense cosmic bodies. This is followed by a layer that has the characteristics of a metal, but is most likely similar in behavior and structure. Crystals are much smaller than we see in the crystal lattice of terrestrial substances. To line up a line of crystals of 1 centimeter, you will need to lay out more than 10 billion elements. The density in this layer is one million times higher than in the outer layer. This is not the heaviest material in a star. This is followed by a layer rich in neutrons, the density of which is a thousand times higher than the previous one.

The core of a neutron star and its density

Below is the core, it is here that the density reaches its maximum - twice as high as the overlying layer. The substance of the core of a celestial body consists of all elementary particles known to physics. With this we have reached the end of the journey to the core of the star in search of the heaviest substance in space.

The mission in search of substances with unique density in the Universe seems to have been completed. But space is full of mysteries and undiscovered phenomena, stars, facts and patterns.

Black holes in the universe

You should pay attention to what is already open today. These are black holes. Perhaps it is these mysterious objects that can be contenders for the fact that the heaviest substance in the Universe is their component. Note that the gravity of black holes is so great that light cannot leave it.

According to scientists' assumptions, the substance drawn into the region of space-time becomes so dense that there is no space between elementary particles.

Unfortunately, beyond the event horizon (this is the name of the border where light and any object, under the influence of gravity, cannot leave black hole) are followed by our guesses and indirect assumptions based on emissions of particle fluxes.

A number of scientists suggest that space and time are mixing beyond the event horizon. There is an opinion that they can be a "passage" to another Universe. Perhaps this corresponds to the truth, although it is quite possible that beyond these limits another space opens up with completely new laws. An area where time will change "place" with space. The location of the future and the past is determined only by the choice to follow. Like our choice to go right or left.

It is potentially admissible that there are civilizations in the Universe that have mastered time travel through black holes. Perhaps in the future, people from planet Earth will discover the secret of time travel.

Introducing a selection chemical records from the Guinness Book of Records.
Due to the fact that new substances are constantly being discovered, this collection is not permanent.

Chemical records for inorganic substances

The most abundant element in the earth's crust is oxygen O. Its weight content is 49% of the mass of the earth's crust.
The rarest element in the earth's crust is astatine At. Its content in the entire earth's crust is only 0.16 grams. The second most rare is Francium Fr.
The most abundant element in the universe is hydrogen H. Approximately 90% of all atoms in the universe are hydrogen. The second most common in the universe is helium He.
The strongest stable oxidizing agent is a complex of krypton difluoride and antimony pentafluoride. Due to its strong oxidizing effect (it oxidizes almost all elements to the highest oxidation states, including oxygen in the air), it is very difficult for it to measure the electrode potential. The only solvent that reacts with it slowly enough is anhydrous hydrogen fluoride.
The densest substance on planet Earth is osmium. The density of osmium is 22.587 g / cm 3.
The lightest metal is lithium Li. The density of lithium is 0.543 g / cm 3.
The densest compound is divungsten carbide W 2 C. The density of divungsten carbide is 17.3 g / cm 3.
At present, graphene aerogels are the solids with the lowest density. They are a system of graphene and nanotubes filled with air spaces. The lightest of these aerogels has a density of 0.00016 g / cm 3. The previous lowest density solid is silicon airgel (0.005 g / cm 3). Silicon airgel is used to collect micrometeorites present in comet tails.
The lightest gas and, at the same time, the lightest non-metal is hydrogen. The mass of 1 liter of hydrogen is only 0.08988 g. In addition, hydrogen is also the most low-melting non-metal at ordinary pressure (melting point is -259.19 0 С).
The lightest liquid is liquid hydrogen. The mass of 1 liter of liquid hydrogen is only 70 grams.
The heaviest inorganic gas at room temperature is tungsten hexafluoride WF 6 (boiling point is +17 0 C). The density of tungsten hexafluoride as a gas is 12.9 g / l. Among gases with a boiling point below 0 ° C, the record is held by tellurium hexafluoride TeF 6 with a gas density at 25 ° C of 9.9 g / l.
The most expensive metal in the world is Californian Cf. The price of 1 gram of 252 Cf isotope reaches 500 thousand US dollars.
Helium He is the substance with the lowest boiling point. Its boiling point is -269 0 С. Helium is the only substance that does not have a melting point at ordinary pressure. Even at absolute zero, it remains liquid and can only be obtained in solid form under pressure (3 MPa).
The most refractory metal and the substance with the highest boiling point is tungsten W. The melting point of tungsten is +3420 0 С, and the boiling point is +5680 0 С.
The most refractory material is an alloy of hafnium and tantalum carbides (1: 1) (melting point +4215 0 С)
The most low-melting metal is mercury. The melting point of mercury is -38.87 0 С. Mercury is also the heaviest liquid, its density at 25 ° C is 13.536 g / cm 3.
The most acid-resistant metal is iridium. Until now, no acids or mixtures thereof are known in which iridium would dissolve. However, it can be dissolved in alkalis with oxidizing agents.
The strongest stable acid is a solution of antimony pentafluoride in hydrogen fluoride.
The hardest metal is chromium Cr.
The softest metal at 25 ° C is cesium.
The hardest material is still diamond, although there are already about a dozen substances approaching it in hardness (boron carbide and nitride, titanium nitride, etc.).
The most conductive metal at room temperature is silver Ag.
The lowest speed of sound in liquid helium is at 2.18 K, it is only 3.4 m / s.
The highest speed of sound in a diamond is 18,600 m / s.
The isotope with the shortest half-life is Li-5, which decays in 4.4 · 10-22 seconds (proton burst). Due to such a short life span, not all scientists recognize the fact of its existence.
The isotope with the longest measured half-life is Te-128, with a half-life of 2.2 × 1024 years (beta double decay).
Xenon and cesium have the most stable isotopes (36 each).
Boron and iodine have the shortest names for a chemical element (3 letters each).
The longest names of the chemical element (eleven letters each) have protactinium Pa, rutherfordium Rf, darmstadtium Ds.

Chemical records for organic matter

The heaviest organic gas at room temperature and the heaviest gas among all at room temperature is N- (octafluorobut-1-ylidene) -O-trifluoromethylhydroxylamine (bp +16 C). Its density as a gas is 12.9 g / l. Among gases with a boiling point below 0 ° C, the record is held by perfluorobutane with a gas density at 0 ° C of 10.6 g / l.
The most bitter substance is denatonium saccharinate. The combination of denatonium benzoate with sodium saccharin gave the substance 5 times more bitter than the previous record holder (denatonium benzoate).
The most non-toxic organic matter is methane. With an increase in its concentration, intoxication occurs due to a lack of oxygen, and not as a result of poisoning.
The strongest adsorbent for water, was obtained in 1974 from a starch derivative, acrylamide and acrylic acid. This substance is able to hold water, the mass of which is 1300 times its own.
The strongest adsorbent for petroleum products is carbon airgel. 3.5 kg of this substance can absorb 1 ton of oil.
The most offensive compounds are ethylselenol and butyl mercaptan - their smell resembles a combination of the smells of rotting cabbage, garlic, onions and sewage at the same time.
The sweetest substance is N - ((2,3-methylenedioxyphenylmethylamino) - (4-cyanophenylimino) methyl) aminoacetic acid (lugduname). This substance is 205,000 times more sweet than a 2% sucrose solution. There are several analogues with similar sweetness. The sweetest industrial substance is talin (a complex of thaumatin and aluminum salts), which is 3,500 - 6,000 times sweeter than sucrose. Recently, neotame has appeared in the food industry with a sweetness 7000 times higher than sucrose.
The slowest enzyme is nitrogenase, which catalyzes the assimilation of atmospheric nitrogen by nodule bacteria. The complete cycle of conversion of one nitrogen molecule into 2 ammonium ions takes one and a half seconds.
The organic substance with the highest nitrogen content is either bis (diazotetrazolyl) hydrazine C2H2N12, containing 86.6% nitrogen, or tetraazidomethane C (N3) 4, containing 93.3% nitrogen (depending on whether the latter is considered organic or not) ... They are explosives that are extremely sensitive to shock, friction and heat. Of inorganic substances, the record belongs, of course, to gaseous nitrogen, and from compounds - to hydrazoic acid HN 3.
The longest chemical name has 1578 characters in English and is a modified nucleotide sequence. This substance is called: Adenosene. N - 2′-O- (tetrahydromethoxypyranyl) adenylyl- (3 '→ 5 ′) - 4-deamino-4- (2,4-dimethylphenoxy) -2′-O- (tetrahydromethoxypyranyl) cytidylyl- (3' → 5 ′) -4-deamino-4- (2,4-dimethylphenoxy) -2′-O- (tetrahydromethoxypyranyl) cytidylyl- (3 '→ 5 ′) - N - 2′-O- (tetrahydromethoxypyranyl) cytidylyl- (3 '→ 5 ′) - N - 2′-O- (tetrahydromethoxypyranyl) cytidylyl- (3' → 5 ′) - N - 2′-O- (tetrahydromethoxypyranyl) guanylyl- (3 '→ 5 ′) - N- -2′-O- (tetrahydromethoxypyranyl) guanylyl- (3 '→ 5 ′) - N - 2′-O- (tetrahydromethoxypyranyl) adenylyl- (3' → 5 ′) - N - 2′-O- (tetrahydromethoxypyranyl ) cytidylyl- (3 '→ 5 ′) - 4-deamino-4- (2,4-dimethylphenoxy) -2′-O- (tetrahydromethoxypyranyl) cytidylyl- (3' → 5 ′) - 4-deamino-4- ( 2,4-dimethylphenoxy) -2′-O- (tetrahydromethoxypyranyl) cytidylyl- (3 '→ 5 ′) - N - 2′-O- (tetrahydromethoxypyranyl) guanylyl- (3' → 5 ′) - 4-deamino- 4- (2,4-dimethylphenoxy) -2′-O- (tetrahydromethoxypyranyl) cytidylyl- (3 '→ 5 ′) - N - 2′-O- (tetrahydromethoxypyranyl) cytidylyl- (3' → 5 ′) - N --2′-O- (tetrahydromethoxypyranyl) cytidylyl- (3 '→ 5 ′) - N - 2′-O- (tetrahydromethoxypyranyl) adenylyl- (3' → 5 ′) - N - 2′-O- ( tetrahydro methoxypyranyl) cytidylyl- (3 '→ 5 ′) - N - 2′-O- (tetrahydromethoxypyranyl) cytidylyl- (3' → 5 ′) - N - 2 ′, 3′-O- (methoxymetylene) -octadecakis ( 2-chlorophenyl) ester. 5'-.
The longest chemical name possesses DNA isolated from human mitochondria and consists of 16569 base pairs. The full name of this compound contains about 207,000 characters.
The system of the largest number of immiscible liquids, again stratifying into components after mixing, contains 5 liquids: mineral oil, silicone oil, water, benzyl alcohol and N-perfluoroethylperfluoropyridine.
The densest organic liquid at room temperature is diiodomethane. Its density is 3.3 g / cm3.
The most refractory individual organic matter are some aromatic compounds. Of the condensed ones, this is tetrabenzheptacene (melting point +570 C), and of the non-condensed ones, it is p-septyphenyl (melting point +545 C). Exists organic compounds for which the melting point is not measured precisely, for example, for hexabenzocoronene it is indicated that its melting point is higher than 700 C. The product of temperature crosslinking of polyacrylonitrile decomposes at a temperature of about 1000 C.
The organic substance with the highest boiling point is hexatriaconylcyclohexane. It boils at + 551 ° C.
The longest alkane is C390H782 nonacontatricthane. It was specially synthesized to study the crystallization of polyethylene.
The longest protein is the muscle protein titin. Its length depends on the type of living organism and localization. Mouse titin, for example, has 35,213 amino acid residues (molecular weight 3,906,488 Da), human titin has a length of up to 33,423 amino acid residues (molecular weight 3,713,712 Da).
The longest genome is the genome of the plant Paris japonica. It contains 150,000,000,000 base pairs - 50 times that of humans (3,200,000,000 base pairs).
The largest molecule is the DNA of the first human chromosome. It contains about 10,000,000,000 atoms.
The individual explosive with the highest detonation rate is 4,4'-dinitroazofuroxan. Its measured detonation velocity was 9700 m / s. According to unverified data, ethyl perchlorate has an even higher detonation rate.
The individual explosive with the highest heat of explosion is ethylene glycol dinitrate. Its heat of explosion is 6606 kJ / kg.
The strongest organic acid is pentacyanocyclopentadiene.
The strongest base is possibly 2-methylcyclopropenyllithium. The strongest non-ionic base is phosphazene, a rather complex structure.