By: Ashley GonzalesProfessor Kimball

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The History of Strontium

• Strontium was discovered in 1790 by Adair Crawford accidentally while he was studying the mineral witherite.

• Strontium was named after the village Strontian in Scotland.

Strontium’s Characteristics

• Strontium is an Alkaline Earth metal and it’s Atomic number 38

• Strontium's atomic mass is 87.62 amu

• Strontium consists of 50 neutrons, 38 protons and electrons

•Strontium is silver and white naturally but when exposed to air turns into a yellow orange color.

Strontium In Nature• Strontium is

the 15th most common element found on earth.

• In addition, Strontium is found in nature as SrSO4 and SrCO3

Strontium in Nature Continued…

•Since strontium is found in compounds it can be extracted by using electrolysis of the fused chloride mixed with potassium chloride.

Strontium Uses

• Strontium’s main use to us is through television.

• The glass for color T.V. cathode ray tubes is made from Strontium compounds.

Strontium Uses Continued

• Strontium is also used in our society to make fireworks and flares.

• Strontium carbonate and strontium nitrate are excellent for creating fireworks and flares because they are so reactive to air.

• Strontium is also used in its isotope 90Sr form as a product in nuclear explosions.

• Strontium is very deadly when used in this form because it is so radioactive and has a half-life of about 29 years.

Strontium Uses Continued

Effects of Strontium

• Because Strontium is so reactive with air, it spontaneously combusts making pure strontium unsafe as it is considered a fire hazard.

• But because Strontium and Calcium have such similar characteristics, the stable forms of Strontium are considered safe and are absorbed by the human body as if it were Calcium.

The Cost

• The cost of pure Strontium is said to be about $100 for 100 grams.

Sources http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strontiumhttp://www.chemicalelements.com/elements/

sr.htmlhttp://education.jlab.org/itselemental/

ele038.html