Now, you might be asking yourself, "What's so special about Beryllium? What are the many uses
for this wonderful element Beryllium? Can Beryllium cause harm to me and members of my family?
What are the characteristics that make Beryllium so special? Why is this page gray with blue font?
Why am I looking at a home page about Beryllium? What are 10 equations that show what Beryllium does?"
All of these questions will be answered.
Beryllium is a light gray metallic element which is part of the Alkaline-earth netal group. Although it never
occurs in nature as a pure element, it is found in bertrandite, beryl, chrysoberyl, phenacite, and other minerals.
The two most important sources of beryllium are beryl and bertrandite.
The German chemist Friedrich Wöhler and the French chemist A.A. Bussy first isolated pure Beryllium samples in
1828.
Of all the elements Beryllium has one of the highest melting points of all light metals. It is a
brittle lightweight metal that melts at 1278º+5º C and it boils at 2970º C. It has a density of 1.848
grams per cubic centimeter at 20º C.
Because X rays can pass through beryllium, the metal is used to make the small windows in X-ray tubes.
It is also an excellent heat conductor. It is used in specialized parts in satellites, missiles, and rockets.
Berylliosis is a chronic lung disease that can be caused by inhaling beryllium. It is also believed that
beryllium causes lung cancer. Because of this risk, there are safety standards to protect people from excessive
exposure to Beryllium.
This page is gray with blue font because Beryllium is about the same color as the background
The Ten Equations
Below is a list of ten equations in which Beryllium is present:
Be+Cl2 --> BeCl2
Be+H2 --> BeH2
He+He--> Be+y
He+Be --> C+y
Be(OH)2 + BeCO3 --> Be(CO)3 + Be(OH)2
Be + 2CU --> BeCu2
BeO+H2SO4 --> BeSO4 + H2O
Be+O --> BeO
Be+n --> Be3N2
Be+F2 --> BeF2