The Physical Properties of Lead
Lead Properties
Lead is known to be a poisonous metal that is able to bring about blood and brain disorders and can cause an effect on the nervous connections in the body. As a mineral though, lead is not very common even though the element of lead is pretty common. Element lead can be found in concentrations in the crust of the earth, however, element lead does not form crystals on its own and therefore the mineral lead is not seen that often. It can be and has been found in gold placer deposits and occasionally in metamorphosed lime stones and marbles. Lead mineral is very soft and can be scratched with a finger nail. Lead is one of the major constituents of the lead acid battery that is utilized in the batteries of vehicles.
The Physical Properties of Lead
- Color: light gray to a slight bluish grey color
- Hardness: 1.5
- Streak: light gray and has a shiny streak
- Transparency: opaque
- Specific gravity: 11.3
- Luster: metallic
- Cleavage: no cleavage
- Fracture: hackly
- Density: 11.4 qm cm3
- Tenacity: malleable, ductile and sectile
The chemical properties of lead
- Melting point: 600.65 K
- Boiling point: 2013 K
- Heat of fusion: 4.799 kJ mol
- Heat of vapor: 177.7 kJ mol
- Specific heat: 0.13 J qm K
The atomic properties of lead
- Atomic number: 82
- Atomic mass: 207.2 u
- Atomic radius: 1.47 A
- Covalent radius: 1.81 A
- Atomic volume: 18.17 cm3 mol
- Stable isotopes: 4
- Electronegativity: 2.33
Where lead is utilized
There are a lot of different uses of lead both as the metal and as its chemical compounds. In most other countries, lead used as the metal prevails and might well be alloyed with other materials depending on the function it is going to be utilized for. Unalloyed lead means that no intentional additions of alloying elements have been completed. Despite the fact that this sometimes means that the lead is of high purity it also covers less pure lead that has different quantities of accompanying impurities. Lead alloys are made by the controlled adding, to lead, of other elements. Some of the uses of lead are included in ammunition; metal casting; as oxides in ceramic and glass; as sheet lead, in brass and bronze billets, as covering for cables and in bearing metals.
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