Bismuth

=Bismuth by Fagen=



Name:
Bismuth

Symbol:
Bi

Atomic Number:
83

Atomic Mass:
208/98038 amu

Melting Point:
271/3 ºC (544.45 K, 520.33996 ºF)

Boiling Point:
1560.0 ºC (1833.15 K, 2840.0 ºF)

Number of Protons/Electrons:
83

Number of Neutrons:
126

Crystal Structure:
Rhombohedral

How was Bismuth discovered?/Extra:
Bismuth, which has been known since ancient times, was often confused with lead and tin. Bismuth was first shown to be a distinct element in 1753 by Claude Geoffroy the Younger. Bismuth does occur free in nature and in such minerals as bismuthinite (Bi2S3) and bismite (Bi2O3). The largest deposits of bismuth are found in Bolivia, although bismuth is usually obtained as a by-product of mining and refining lead, copper, tin, silver and gold. Once thought to be the heaviest stable isotope to exist in nature, experiments conducted in 2002 showed that bismuth-209 is unstable and decays into thallium-205 through alpha decay. Bismuth-209 has a half-life of roughly 19 quintillion years.

On a personal note:
This thing is so cool it's insane. It looks like rainbow sherbet that got crystallized in the cool depths of Ice Cream Cave (which is a totally real thing), shortly before being serenaded for hours on end before sprouting into the beautiful metaphorical flower it is now.