Get Nova Video Questions: Hunting The Elements

In the context of NOVA Video Questions: Hunting the Elements, an element takes its identity from its atomic structure and the number of protons in its nucleus. This unique arrangement defines each element's chemical properties and behavior. As you explore various elements through the video series, you'll discover how their identities shape their interactions with other substances and contribute to our understanding of the natural world.

Lithium is a soft, silvery-white, metal that heads group 1, the alkali metals group, of the periodic table of the elements.

Silver's symbol in the periodic table is Ag. The symbol comes from the Latin word Argentum. This word means "white and bright" and was used by the Romans to identify silver. This etymological root can also be found in the name of the mineral argentiferous galena.

Most people think of calcium as white and chalky, but it's actually a silver, shiny metal.

“Hunting the Elements” is a journey that delves into the elements that are essential to understanding everything from the Big Bang to the living cells within the human body.

Erbium is a chemical element with the symbol Er and atomic number 68. A silvery-white solid metal when artificially isolated, natural erbium is always found in chemical combination with other elements.

PERIOD: NOVA: Hunting the Elements DATE: 1. There are 118 unique substances (elements) arranged on an amazing chart that reveals their hidden secrets to anyone who knows how to read it. 2. All the gold ever mined would fit into a single cube about 60 feet on a side.

White rust is a white, chalky substance that can form on the surface of zinc materials, like galvanized steel. White rust can form when zinc is exposed to hydrogen and oxygen. This combination creates a zinc hydroxide, as opposed to the iron oxide which is common form of rust.

Where does an element get its identity from? One atom of each element is made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons. The number of electrons determines how an element reacts. The number of protons gives the element its identity.