The Earth is home to a diverse range of elements, including some of the heaviest metals found anywhere in the universe. These metals are highly sought after for their unique properties and have played an important role in shaping our modern world. Here we will explore a list of 20 of the heaviest metals on earth, along with their density, weight, and chemical formula.
| Metal | Density (g/cm³) | Atomic Weight | Formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Osmium | 22.59 | 190.23 | Os |
| 2. Iridium | 22.56 | 192.22 | Ir |
| 3. Platinum | 21.45 | 195.08 | Pt |
| 4. Neptunium | 20.25 | 237 | Np |
| 5. Plutonium | 19.84 | 244 | Pu |
| 6. Rhenium | 21.02 | 186.21 | Re |
| 7. Gold | 19.32 | 196.97 | Au |
| 8. Tungsten | 19.25 | 183.84 | W |
| 9. Uranium | 19.05 | 238.03 | U |
| 10. Thorium | 11.72 | 232.04 | Th |
| 11. Americium | 13.67 | 243 | Am |
| 12. Curium | 13.51 | 247 | Cm |
| 13. Berkelium | 14.78 | 247 | Bk |
| 14. Californium | 15.1 | 251 | Cf |
| 15. Hassium | 41 | 277 | Hs |
| 16. Seaborgium | 35 | 271 | Sg |
| 17. Bohrium | Unknown | 270 | Bh |
| 18. Meitnerium | Unknown | 278 | Mt |
| 19. Darmstadtium | Unknown | 281 | Ds |
| 1. Osmium | Unknown | 282 | Rg |
1. Osmium
Osmium is a rare, hard, and brittle metal that belongs to the platinum group of elements. It was discovered in 1803 by British chemist Smithson Tennant and named after the Greek word for “odor” due to its pungent smell. Osmium has a bluish-white color, high density, and a melting point of 3033°C.
Osmium is one of the heaviest metals on Earth with an atomic number of 76 and a relative atomic mass of 190.23. Its density is nearly twice that of lead at room temperature, which makes it highly resistant to corrosion and wear.
Osmium also has a remarkable ability to form hard alloys with other metals such as iridium, palladium, platinum, and ruthenium.
2. Iridium
Iridium is one of the heaviest metals on earth, with a density roughly 22 times that of water. This rare metal belongs to the platinum group elements, which are highly valued for their exceptional chemical properties. Iridium is silvery-white in color and resists corrosion and oxidation even at high temperatures.
Iridium has numerous industrial applications, including its use in spark plugs for cars and aircraft engines. Additionally, it is used in the production of hard alloys for tools and electrical contacts. In the medical field, iridium is used as a radiation source for cancer treatment due to its ability to emit gamma rays.
Despite its many uses, iridium remains a relatively obscure element due to its rarity and difficulty of extraction from ores.
3. Platinum
Platinum is one of the heaviest metals on earth and is highly valued for its extreme rarity and resistance to corrosion.
It is a silvery-white metal that belongs to the group of transition metals, which are elements with partially filled d-subshells in their electron configurations.
Platinum’s atomic number is 78, making it one of the densest and most stable elements known to man.
The metal’s unique properties make it an essential component in various applications, ranging from jewelry-making to industrial processes.
Due to its excellent catalytic activity, platinum finds extensive use as a catalyst in chemical reactions for manufacturing fertilizers, synthetic fibers, petroleum products, and pharmaceuticals.
It also features prominently in automobile exhaust systems as a catalyst that reduces harmful emissions.
While platinum’s value has fluctuated over time due to supply-demand dynamics and economic factors, it remains an important precious metal with several industrial uses.
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4. Neptunium
Neptunium is a radioactive chemical element, whose atomic number is 93, and it belongs to the actinide series. It was first discovered in 1940 by Edwin McMillan and Philip H. Abelson at the University of California, Berkeley.
Neptunium is named after the planet Neptune because it follows uranium and plutonium in the periodic table, just as Neptune follows Uranus in our solar system.
Neptunium is one of the heaviest metals on earth with a density of around 20 grams per cubic centimeter. It doesn’t exist naturally on Earth but can be produced artificially in particle accelerators or nuclear reactors by bombarding uranium or plutonium with neutrons.
Neptunium has many isotopes, but only neptunium-237 possesses significant fissile properties that could be used for nuclear weapons or fuel production.
5. Plutonium
Plutonium is one of the heaviest metals on earth. It has the atomic number 94 and the symbol Pu. It was discovered by Glenn T. Seaborg, Edwin M. McMillan, Joseph W. Kennedy, and Arthur C. Wahl in 1940 at the University of California, Berkeley.
Plutonium is a silvery-gray metal that tarnishes quickly when exposed to air. Its melting point is relatively low for a metal, around 640 degrees Celsius (1184 degrees Fahrenheit), and it boils at around 3228 degrees Celsius (5842 degrees Fahrenheit).
Plutonium has several isotopes with varying half-lives; however, plutonium-239 is the most common and is used in nuclear reactors.
Due to its radioactive nature and potential use as fuel for nuclear weapons, plutonium’s production and use are heavily regulated by governments worldwide.
6. Rhenium
Rhenium is a silvery-white, metallic element that belongs to the group of transition metals. It has an atomic number of 75 and is one of the heaviest metals on Earth.
Rhenium was discovered in 1925 by two German chemists, Walter Noddack and Ida Tacke, while they were working on a sample of molybdenum ore.
Rhenium has some unique properties that make it highly useful in many industrial applications. For example, it has an extremely high melting point (3180°C), which makes it ideal for use in high-temperature applications such as jet engine turbines.
It also has excellent resistance to corrosion and oxidation at high temperatures, which makes it valuable in the production of various alloys and superalloys.
7. Gold
Gold is one of the heaviest metals on earth, weighing in at 19.3 times heavier than water. It is a highly sought-after precious metal and has been used for centuries as currency, jewelry, and even for medicinal purposes.
Its unique properties make it an attractive investment option due to its scarcity and aesthetic appeal.
As a chemical element with the symbol Au (from Latin: aurum), gold is classified as a transition metal. Despite being relatively rare in the Earth’s crust, gold can be found in various forms such as nuggets, grains, or flakes. The most prominent deposits are found in South Africa, Russia, and Australia.
The value of gold largely depends on market demand and supply dynamics which are driven by factors such as inflation rates, political stability, or economic uncertainty.
8. Tungsten
Tungsten is a unique metal that has several remarkable properties, making it one of the most sought-after elements on Earth. It is one of the heaviest metals known to man and has an extremely high melting point, making it ideal for use in industrial applications such as cutting tools and electrical contacts.
Tungsten is commonly used in manufacturing because of its strength and durability. Its high density also makes it ideal for use in radiation shielding, which helps protect workers who are exposed to radioactive materials.
Additionally, tungsten is often used in the construction of aerospace components due to its ability to withstand extreme temperatures and pressures.
Despite its many advantages, tungsten can be challenging to extract from ore deposits due to its chemical properties. However, once extracted, this metal proves incredibly valuable across various industries where strength and longevity are key factors.
9. Uranium
Uranium is one of the heaviest metals on earth, with an atomic mass of 238.03 u. It is a silvery-white metal that has been used for various purposes since its discovery in 1789 by Martin Klaproth.
Uranium is found in small quantities in most rocks and soils, but it can also be extracted from ores using mining techniques.
The most important use of uranium is as a fuel for nuclear reactors. When the nucleus of uranium-235 undergoes fission, it releases a tremendous amount of energy that can be harnessed to generate electricity.
This process also releases neutrons that can cause other nuclei to undergo fission, resulting in a self-sustaining chain reaction.
However, uranium’s radioactive properties also pose significant risks to human health and the environment.
10. Thorium
Thorium is one of the heaviest metals on earth. It has an atomic number of 90 and is a naturally occurring radioactive element. Thorium was discovered in 1828 by Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius and named after Thor, the Norse god of thunder.
Thorium has many unique properties that make it an attractive alternative to traditional nuclear fuels like uranium. One significant advantage is its abundance in nature; thorium deposits can be found all over the world, including in the United States, Australia, India, and Brazil.
Additionally, thorium reactors produce less waste than uranium reactors and are much safer due to their inherent design features.
While thorium still faces some challenges before widespread adoption as a nuclear fuel source can occur, researchers continue to explore its potential benefits through ongoing research and development initiatives.
11. Americium
Americium is a man-made element that was first discovered in 1944. It is named after the continent where it was first synthesized – America. This radioactive metal belongs to the group of actinides, which are the heaviest metals on earth and are known for their unstable properties.
Americium has several unique characteristics that make it useful in various applications. One of its most notable features is its ability to emit alpha particles, which are highly energetic and can penetrate through materials easily.
This property makes americium an ideal source for smoke detectors, where it ionizes the air and triggers an alarm when smoke particles enter.
Aside from being used in smoke detectors, americium also has potential applications in nuclear reactors and weapons. Its high radioactivity can be harnessed to generate heat, which can then be converted into electricity through thermoelectric processes.
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12. Curium
Curium is a highly radioactive metal and one of the heaviest elements on Earth. Its atomic number is 96, which means it has 96 protons in its nucleus.
Scientists first created curium in a laboratory in 1944 at the University of California, Berkeley by bombarding plutonium with alpha particles.
Curium is named after Marie Curie and her husband Pierre Curie, who discovered radium and polonium. It belongs to the actinide series of elements and is located below americium and above berkelium on the periodic table.
This rare element can only be produced artificially through nuclear reactors or particle accelerators.
Despite its rarity, curium has found many applications in nuclear research, including as a source of gamma rays used to sterilize medical equipment and food products.
13. Berkelium
Berkelium is a rare, radioactive element that belongs to the actinide series. It was first synthesized by Glenn T. Seaborg and his team at the University of California, Berkeley in 1949.
Berkelium has an atomic number of 97 and is one of the heaviest metals on Earth, with a density of 14.8 grams per cubic centimeter.
Due to its rarity and short half-life, berkelium has few practical applications outside of scientific research. However, its unique properties make it valuable for studying the behavior of heavy elements and nuclear reactions.
Scientists have used berkelium as a target in particle accelerators to create new superheavy elements and study their properties.
Despite its limited uses, berkelium remains an important element for researchers interested in unraveling the mysteries of nuclear physics and chemistry.
14. Californium
Californium is a rare, radioactive metal that is one of the heaviest elements on Earth. It was first discovered in 1950 at the University of California and named after the state where it was found. Californium is created through nuclear reactions and can only be produced in small quantities.
Despite its rarity, californium has several important uses. It is used as a neutron source for scientific research, including cancer treatment and oil exploration.
Its radioactivity also makes it useful in detecting hidden explosives and weaponry. However, due to its high cost and limited availability, californium is not widely used outside of specialized fields.
Overall, californium remains a fascinating element with unique properties that continue to intrigue scientists. As research into its potential applications continues, this rare metal may one day have even more widespread uses beyond its current niche roles in science and security.
15. Hassium
Hassium is one of the heaviest metals on earth, with an atomic number of 108. It was first synthesized in 1984 by a German research team led by Peter Armbruster and Gottfried Münzenberg at the Institute for Heavy Ion Research (GSI) in Darmstadt. Hassium is named after the Latin name for Hesse, the state where GSI is located.
16. Seaborgium
Seaborgium is a synthetic element that was first discovered in 1974 by a team of scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California.
It is named after Glenn T. Seaborg, an American chemist who was instrumental in the discovery of several other elements on the periodic table. Seaborgium belongs to the group of heaviest metals on earth and is classified as a transactinide element.
17. Bohrium
Bohrium is one of the heaviest metals on earth. It was first synthesized in 1981 by a team of researchers working at the Heavy Ion Research Laboratory (HIRL) in Dubna, Russia.
Bohrium has an atomic number of 107 and its symbol is Bh. It belongs to the group of elements known as transuranium elements, which are man-made and have atomic numbers greater than that of uranium.
18. Meitnerium
Meitnerium is a synthetic element that was first synthesized by Peter Armbruster and Gottfried Münzenberg in the year 1982.
It is named after Lise Meitner, an Austrian physicist who made significant contributions to the discovery of nuclear fission. Meitnerium is one of the heaviest metals on earth with an atomic number of 109 and an atomic mass of around 278.
19. Darmstadtium
Darmstadtium, also known as element 110, is one of the heaviest metals on Earth. It was first synthesized by a team of German scientists in 1994 and named after the city of Darmstadt where it was discovered. The element has an atomic number of 110 and its symbol is Ds.
20. Roentgenium
Roentgenium is one of the heaviest metals on earth, with an atomic number of 111. It was first synthesized in 1994 by a team of German scientists at the Institute for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt. The element is named after Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen, the physicist who discovered X-rays.
FAQs – Heaviest Metals on Earth
What are the heaviest metals in order?
The heaviest metals in order from lightest to heaviest are lithium, beryllium, boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine, neon, sodium, magnesium, aluminum, silicon, phosphorus, sulfur, chlorine, argon, and potassium.
What is the heaviest common metal on earth?
The heaviest common metal on earth is osmium, with a density of 22.6 g/cm3. Osmium is part of the platinum group metals, which also include palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, and iridium. It is one of the rarest elements in the Earth’s crust and is found in nickel-bearing deposits around the world.
Is tungsten the heaviest metal?
Yes, tungsten is the heaviest metal. It has a density of 19.3 g/cm3, which is almost twice as much as lead and 1.7 times as much as gold. Tungsten is also very hard and has one of the highest melting points of all metals at 6192°F (3410°C).
What is heavier than tungsten?
Tungsten is a metal with one of the highest densities in the world, making it an incredibly heavy element. However, there are a few heavier elements that can be found on the periodic table.
What are the big 4 heavy metals?
The big four heavy metals are lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium. These heavy metals are found in many everyday items such as batteries, paints, and electronics. Lead is a neurotoxin that can cause serious health problems if it accumulates in the body over time.
Is there a metal heavier than gold?
Yes, there are several metals that are heavier than gold. Osmium is the heaviest known metal, with a density of 22.59 g/cm3. It is followed closely by iridium at 22.56 g/cm3 and platinum at 21.45 g/cm3. All three of these metals are much denser than gold, which has an average density of 19.32 g/cm3.
What is the heaviest metal in the universe?
The heaviest metal in the universe is Osmium. It has a density of 22.59 g/cm3, which is twice as dense as lead. This makes it the densest naturally occurring element known to exist.
Conclusion
The list of 20 heaviest metals on Earth provides valuable information about the physical properties and chemical composition of some of the densest materials we know.
From osmium to uranium, these metals offer a wide range of applications in various fields such as medicine, engineering, and energy production. Understanding their properties can help us develop new technologies that are stronger, more durable, and more efficient.
As we continue to explore the depths of our planet and beyond, it is important to appreciate the complexity and richness of its resources. Let us keep learning and discovering new things about our world’s heaviest metals.