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Platinum

Platinum is a valuable metal that is more precious than gold and is used in jewelry, electroplating, and dentistry.

Chemical Formula: Pt

Layman's explanation: Platinum was first reported by Antonio de Ulloa in 1735 and was later named from the Spanish word for silver, platina. This element occurs naturally with other platinum group elements and with minor amounts of iron. This silver-gray metal will not tarnish and is generally found in the form of grains or flakes, but rarely as nuggets. The soft and dense element is most abundant in the areas of South Africa, the Ural Mountains, Colombia, and parts of North America. The metal is used in manufacturing apparatus that is used in industries and laboratories due to its resistance to corrosion that allows for it to be malleable and ductile; it is utilized in dentistry, electroplating, and jewelry making. Inhalation of platinum dust and platinum salts can be potentially irritating and cause rhinorrhea, sneezing, wheezing, and cough, tightness of chest, shortness of breath, cyanosis, and dermatitis.

Keywords: malleable, ductile, Mineral

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