Rainbow Bismuth
- Large size: approximately 50-80g
- Medium size: approximately 30-45g
- Small size: approximately 15-25g
Photos are representative of what you will receive. Please allow for slight variations in shape and color.
Further information:
Bismuth is a chemical element with the symbol Bi and atomic number 83. It is a pentavalent post-transition metal and one of the pnictogens with chemical properties resembling its lighter group 15 siblings arsenic and antimony. Elemental bismuth may occur naturally, although its sulfide and oxide form important commercial ores. The free element is 86% as dense as lead. It is a brittle metal with a silvery white color when freshly produced, but surface oxidation can give it an iridescent tinge in numerous colours. Bismuth is the most naturally diamagnetic element, and has one of the lowest values of thermal conductivity among metals.
Bismuth is one of the pure chemical elements (Bi, 83) and a metal with many unique properties. It is almost as dense as lead, but without the toxicity. It is also one of the least thermally conductive metals, but has a relatively low melting point (271°C, 520°F). In fact, when melted, bismuth can crystallize upon cooling into the stair-stepped pattern. The iridescent colors are caused by the oxidation of the outer layer as it cools.
Bismuth was recently discovered to be very weakly (harmlessly) radioactive. But since its half-life is longer than the age of the universe, it can be considered stable. Bismuth is a key ingredient of Pepto-Bismol. You can even extract it from the pink medicine with a little chemistry.
