Beryllium

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Revision as of 19:35, 31 December 2020 by imported>Mark Widmer (Opening paragraph revised to match new standard: Typical phase (gas/liq/sol), symbol, Z, and std. atomic weight.)
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Beryllium
9.012182(3)



  Be
4
1s22s2
[ ? ] Alkaline Earth Metal:
Properties:
Steel-gray, low-density, brittle metal
Hazard:
Toxic, carcinogenic

Beryllium is a chemical element, typically found as a solid in its elemental form. It has the chemical symbol Be, atomic number (number of protons) Z = 4, and a standard atomic weight of 9.012182 g/mol.

Beryllium is considered to be a member of the "Alkaline Earth Metal" class of elements. At a pressure of 101.325 kPa, it has a boiling point of 2471 °C, and a melting point of 1287 °C. Its density is 1.85 g/cc.

Beryllium is toxic to living organisms.

It is a strategic material in nuclear weapons, specifically acting as a neutron reflector surrounding the fission core, increasing its neutron density, and decreasing the size of the device. A beryllium reflector was first used operationally in the U.S. Mark 12 (nuclear weapon),