• Question: if you could put an element on the periodic table what would it be and why

    Asked by ♥aaliyah♥ to Gaia, Jim, Scott on 17 Mar 2016.
    • Photo: Scott Lawrie

      Scott Lawrie answered on 17 Mar 2016:

      If I could invent a new element, it would be one that ‘fissions’ like Uranium so it can be used in a nuclear power station, but which has no side-effects like radiation or a long half life. That would give us loads of free energy without the stigma of nuclear power and that would change the world!

      If I were to have discovered one in the past, that would definitely be Gallium. It’s one of very few elements that are liquid near room temperature, it’s VERY unusual in that it (like Ice) is less dense when frozen, so solid gallium floats on liquid gallium (most solids are denser so sink: ice and gallium are WEIRD). Gallium also paved the way for the invention of very important technology we use today such as light emitting diodes (LED lights) and solar panels. GO GALLIUM!

    • Photo: Jim Barrett

      Jim Barrett answered on 17 Mar 2016:

      I don’t know what the element would do, but it would be called Jimmium 😀

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