A disadvantage is that if you are repeatedly exposed to this toxic element, it can cause anemia, brain damage and high blood pressure. An advantage is that lead has a low melting point, so it is easy to shape and mold the bullet. Bullets were originally either made out of stone or clay balls.
Why is lead weak?
Lead is a relatively unreactive post-transition metal. Its weak metallic character is illustrated by its amphoteric nature; lead and lead oxides react with acids and bases, and it tends to form covalent bonds.
How is lead harmful to the environment?
Lead can remain in the environment as dust indefinitely. The lead in fuels contribute to air pollution, especially in urban areas. Soils near highways, freeways, and smelting facilities have higher levels of lead than soils in other areas because of their exposure to lead dust, which accumulates over time.
Is lead flammable?
Flammable Properties: Does not burn. (lead metal) COMBUSTIBLE DUST. Powder may form explosive dust-air mixture. Suitable Extinguishing Media: Not combustible.
Is lead malleable or brittle?
lead (Pb), a soft, silvery white or grayish metal in Group 14 (IVa) of the periodic table. Lead is very malleable, ductile, and dense and is a poor conductor of electricity.
What are 5 physical properties of lead?
Its properties include a low melting point; ease of casting; high density; low strength; ease of fabrication; acid resistance; electrochemical reaction with sulfuric acid; chemical stability in air, water, and soils; and the ability to attenuate sound waves, atomic radiation, and mechanical vibration (11).
What are uses of lead?
Lead is still widely used for car batteries, pigments, ammunition, cable sheathing, weights for lifting, weight belts for diving, lead crystal glass, radiation protection and in some solders. It is often used to store corrosive liquids.
Is lead harmful to adults?
Lead also causes long-term harm in adults, including increased risk of high blood pressure and kidney damage. Exposure of pregnant women to high levels of lead can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth and low birth weight.
Is lead a neurotoxin?
Lead has long been recognized as a developmental neurotoxicant that can interfere with the developing brain, resulting in functional impairment. Thus, lead exposure continues to be a major public health problem, particularly in urban centers in the US and in developing nations.
Why is lead toxic to humans?
Lead is bad for humans because it interferes with numerous enzymes inside the cells of these organs. This results in symptoms such as muscle and joint aches as well as constipation and overall fatigue. It damages our brains by interfering with how brain cells send messages and communicate.
Is lead reactive?
Lead is a reactive metal, but its reactivity is somewhat inhibited by the formation of an outer skin of protective compounds. For example, when a freshly cut piece of lead metal is exposed to the air, it quickly reacts with oxygen to form a thin outer layer of lead oxide.
Is lead toxic to touch?
Touching lead is not the problem. It becomes dangerous when you breathe in or swallow lead. Breathing It – You can breathe in lead if dust in the air contains lead, especially during renovations that disturb painted surfaces.
Is lead a hazmat?
Hazard Class: 9 (Environmentally Hazardous Substance) Extinguish fire using an agent suitable for type of surrounding fire. Lead itself does not burn. POISONOUS FUMES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE, including Lead Oxides.
Why is lead so heavy?
Lead is a stable metal that’s often used as weights and sinkers. The reason it’s heavy in terms of mass per unit volume (or think about it as per teaspoon), is because the lead atoms are very close, making it a dense material.
What is the hardness of lead?
Hardnesses of the elements (data page)
| number | symbol | Mohs hardness |
|---|---|---|
| 79 | Au | 2.5 |
| 80 | Hg | 1.5 |
| 81 | Tl | 1.2 |
| 82 | Pb | 1.5 |
Is lead soft?
Lead is a soft, dense, blue-gray metal. Lead occurs naturally in the earth’s crust, where it combines with other elements such as oxygen and sulfur. It is used to make batteries and metal mixtures.
Is lead a solid?
Lead is a chemical element with symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Classified as a post-transition metal, Lead is a solid at room temperature.
What lead smells like?
You cannot smell or taste lead, and it’s not visible to the naked eye. In the United States, lead used to be common in house paint and gasoline. These products are not produced with lead any longer. However, lead is still present everywhere.
Is lead oxide solid or gas?
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). Lead(IV) oxide is the inorganic compound with the formula PbO2. It is an oxide where lead is in an oxidation state of +4. It is a dark-brown solid which is insoluble in water.
Is lead volatile?
The non-volatile metals lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) ranged from 0.06 to 0.64 μg/g and 0.002 to 0.03 μg/g, respectively(.) The results illustrated the findings that soil is the major but not the only source of metal accumulation in the plants.
What are 3 interesting facts about lead?
Interesting Lead Element Facts
- Lead has atomic number 82, which means each lead atom has 82 protons.
- Lead is a considered a basic metal or post-transition metal.
- Lead is one of the metals that was known to ancient man.
- Over half the lead produced today is used in lead-acid car batteries.
- Lead is highly toxic.
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