THE BEECHMONT CREST SCIENCE ZONE
LEARNING THE CHEMICAL ELEMENTS
Beryllium
Name origin: Greek beryllos = “mineral”
Symbol: Be
Atomic number: 4
Atomic weight: 9.01218
-Beryllium has a sweet taste (although it is quite poisonous). It exists as a grayish, brittle metal.
- Beryllium is lighter than aluminum. Like aluminum, it quickly develops an oxide coating. (This prevents further oxidation.)
- Beryllium is used to manufacture components used by the nuclear power industry.
- Beryllium is one of the Group IIA elements known as the alkaline-earth metals. This group includes calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), and radium (Ra).
-Lithium is used in nuclear reactors, dry-cell batteries, and porcelain.
