Page 52 - Curriculum Visions Dynamic Book

Zinc is present in some coins.The penny (US one-cent) coin is zinc plated with bronze.
Zinc oxide makes paints, rubber, cosmetics and medicines (as ointment). Zinc sulphide makes luminous dials for watches and fluorescent lights.
Geology
Zinc is never found as a native element, but is common as a sulphide. Zinc ores include sphalerite (zinc sulphide, ZnS) and smithsonite (zinc carbonate, ZnCO3),
Biology
Zinc is an essential trace mineral in plants
and animals. It is needed for the production of chemicals called enzymes.A zinc deficiency can stunt growth, and animals with a zinc deficiency need far more food to grow than if they are fed the correct amount of the element.
Although at first glance
it appears black, careful inspection reveals that this
sphalerite sample is a deep, resinous yellow.
 Zinc-based paints
One increasingly important use of zinc is in the form of high-purity powder called zinc dust. It can be incorporated in corrosion-resistant paints and other coatings.This picture shows a zinc-painted section of the Sydney Harbour Bridge,Australia.
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