Page 47 - Curriculum Visions Dynamic Book

Uub see Ununbium; Uuh see Ununhexium; Uun see Ununnilium; Uuo see Ununquadium; Uuq see Ununquadium; Uuu see Unununium
Vanadium (V)
Element 23.A silvery-white soft metal belonging to the transition metals in the Periodic Table. It resists corrosion by acids and alkalis.
Discovery
Vanadium was discovered independently in Mexico in 1801 by Andres Manuel del Rio and again in Sweden in 1831 by Nils Sefström.
Technology
It can be alloyed with steel to make strong drill bits. It can also go into rust-resistant steel.Vanadium makes high-temperature steels and also helps in the alloying of other metals.Vanadium can also be a catalyst for speeding up chemical reactions. Because
of their colours, vanadium compounds are used for dyeing fabrics.
Geology
It does not occur as a native metal, but appears in many minerals, including vanadite, also known as brown lead and carnotite. It is found in coal and crude oil.
Biology
Vanadium is an essential trace element for some animals, especially for birds. It is also found in sea squirts. Lack of vanadium stunts growth.
 Like many other transition
elements, vanadium has several
different oxidation states due to the electron arrangement of its atoms. In this series the changes in oxidation state are shown by associated colours from an oxidation state of 5 (yellow), to 4 (blue), to 3 (green) and finally to 2 (violet).
Key facts...
Name: vanadium
Symbol: V
Atomic number: 23
Atomic weight: 50.9
Position in Periodic Table: transition metal,
group (5) (vanadium group); period 4 State at room temperature: solid Colour: silvery-white
Density of solid: 5.96 g/cc
Melting point: 1,890°C
Boiling point: 3,380°C
Origin of name: named after Vanadis, the
goddess of beauty and youth in Scandinavian mythology. This was suggested by the range of beautiful colours that are produced by vanadium compounds.
Shell pattern of electrons: 2–8–11–2
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