Native elements
Native elements are naturally occurring chemical elements found in their uncombined state, meaning they exist independently without bonding to other elements. Of the twenty-four known native elements, only eight are considered significant ores. These include four metals: gold, silver, copper, and platinum; one semimetal: antimony; and three nonmetals: sulfur, graphite, and diamond. Each of these native elements has distinct properties and uses. Gold and platinum serve as important ores, while silver and copper primarily originate from sulfide compounds.
The geographical distribution of these elements reveals their diverse sources, with gold primarily found in South Africa and China, while native silver is located in Germany and the U.S. Sulfur is predominantly extracted in regions like Texas and Sicily, and diamond deposits are mainly found in Africa and Australia. The applications of native elements are vast; for example, gold is used in jewelry, electronics, and as a monetary standard, whereas graphite serves as a lubricant and is used in batteries. Understanding the characteristics and uses of these native elements can offer insights into their significance in various industries and the natural world.
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Native elements
Native elements are those found in nature that are uncombined with other elements and include metals, semimetals, and nonmetals. These twenty-four native elements have a number of important economic uses.
Definition
Twenty-four elements are found in their “native” state (uncombined with other elements in nature), but only eight of these native elements are important ores. These eight significant native elements are divided into metals (gold, silver, copper, and platinum), semimetals (antimony), and nonmetals (sulfur, graphite, and diamond).
Overview
Only gold and platinum are important ores of the native metals. The main ores of silver and copper are derived from silver and copper sulfides. Gold comes from South Africa, former Soviet states, China, and the United States. Native silver occurs in Germany, Canada, and the United States. Native copper occurs in the United States and Bolivia. Native platinum occurs in South Africa, Colombia, and Russia. Native sulfur is a major ore, and it occurs in Texas, Louisiana, and, internationally, Sicily. Most diamonds are found in Africa, Australia, or Russia. The main producers of graphite are India, Mexico, China, former Soviet states, and North and South Korea.
The native elements have a number of important uses. Gold is used as a world monetary standard and in jewelry, dental fillings, and various scientific applications. Silver is used in photographic film, silverware, and electronic equipment. Copper is used for wire, brass, and bronze. Platinum is used as a catalyst to control automobile emissions and in jewelry and dentistry. Sulfur is used for the manufacture of sulfuric acid, insecticides, hydrogen sulfide, and rubber. Diamond is used as a gemstone, for cutting glass, and as a fine powder for polishing gemstones. Graphite is used as a lubricant in oil, as a writing tool (it is mixed with in pencils), and in paints, batteries, and refractory crucibles.
Gold (abbreviated Au; atomic number 79; atomic weight 196.97) is chemically inert and is in the same column on the periodic table as the transition elements copper and silver. Native gold is gold to yellow in color and has a high (19 grams per milliliter). Silver (Ag; atomic number 47; atomic weight 107.87) is chemically more reactive than gold. Native silver is white on a fresh surface, but it is quickly tarnished; it has a density of 10.5 grams per milliliter. Native copper (Cu; atomic number 29; atomic weight 63.5) has a red color, but it is stained green on weathered surfaces. Native copper has a density of 8.8 grams per milliliter. Sulfur (S; atomic number 16; atomic weight 32.064) is in Group 6 of the periodic table. Native sulfur is a pale to deep yellow color, and it has a density of only 2.1 grams per milliliter. Graphite and diamond are both composed of carbon (C). Carbon (atomic number 6; atomic weight 12.011) is in Group 4 of the periodic table with chemical properties similar to silicon. Graphite is submetallic, lead gray, and has a density of 2.1 grams per milliliter, whereas diamond can be almost any color and has a density of 3.5 grams per milliliter.
The metallic native elements have metallic chemical bonds with delocalized outer electrons; this situation results in their metallic luster and their high conductivity of heat and electricity. The native nonmetals have localized bonding electrons because they share electrons between atoms; this results in nonmetallic luster and low electrical and heat conduction. The native semimetals have properties intermediate between the metals and nonmetals.
The native metals in some deposits are formed by hot, ascending water vapor called deposits, and they are associated with a wide variety of minerals. Native gold may be weathered out of the hydrothermal deposit without alteration and may be concentrated in streams. Native silver may also be concentrated in the oxidized zone by of the original hydrothermal deposits. The most abundant sulfur deposits are formed in the caprock of salt domes in the southern United States. Diamond is found mostly in rocks called kimberlites and lamproites. Diamond may also be weathered out of the original igneous rocks and be concentrated in streams. Graphite is formed in rocks by heating the original organic material in sediments to the high temperatures of metamorphism (more than 200° Celsius and more than 2 kilobars of pressure).
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