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Germanium, categorized as a metalloid in group 14, the Carbon family, has five naturally occurring isotopes.Characteristics. Atomic Number: 32 Atomic Weight: 72.59 Atomic Radius: 122.5 pm Series: Metalloid Group: 14.
How is germanium naturally found?
Germanium is primarily mined with zinc ore as well as with argyrodite, germanite, and coal according to the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Is germanium found in nature?
Natural abundance Germanium ores are very rare. They are found in small quantities as the minerals germanite and argyrodite. Germanium minerals are also present in zinc ores, and commercial production of germanium is carried out by processing zinc smelter flue dust.
Is germanium found in a pure state in nature?
In its pure form, the element is too reactive to occur naturally and is often found in compound state or in minerals. 4. Germanium is quite rare and found in the Earth at about 1.6 parts per million. The highest concentration has been found in coal seams.
Where is germanium found in the home?
Germanium is one of the elements on the inside of the fluorescent bulbs.
Is germanium toxic to humans?
Germanium is not an essential element. Its acute toxicity is low. However, at least 31 reported human cases linked prolonged intake of germanium products with renal failure and even death. Signs of kidney dysfunction, kidney tubular degeneration, and germanium accumulation were observed.
Is germanium safe to wear?
Inorganic (elemental) germanium is LIKELY UNSAFE. This includes certain compounds such as germanium oxide. There have been more than 30 reports of kidney failure and death linked with use of these forms of germanium. It builds up in the body and can damage vital organs such as the kidneys.
Where is germanium used in everyday life?
In addition to its applications in electronic devices, germanium is used as a component of alloys and in phosphors for fluorescent lamps. Because germanium is transparent to infrared radiation, it is employed in equipment used for detecting and measuring such radiation, such as windows and lenses.
Is germanium man made or natural?
Organic germanium is a man-made blend of germanium, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Common names include germanium-132 (Ge-132) and germanium sesquioxide.
Does germanium have health benefits?
Despite serious safety concerns, germanium is used for heart and blood vessel conditions, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease; for eye conditions, including glaucoma and cataracts; and for liver conditions, including hepatitis and cirrhosis.
What are 3 example of materials products that use germanium?
The largest use of germanium is in the semiconductor industry. When doped with small amounts of arsenic, gallium, indium, antimony or phosphorus, germanium is used to make transistors for use in electronic devices. Germanium is also used to create alloys and as a phosphor in fluorescent lamps.
What are 6 interesting facts about germanium?
Interesting Facts about Germanium Scientists are studying germanium for use in chemotherapy to help treat cancer. Dmitri Mendeleev first named the element “ekasilicon”, but it was later renamed by Winkler. Some compounds that include germanium are useful in killing bacteria while not harming animals.
Does germanium float in water?
Germanium is stable in air and water, and is unaffected by alkalis and acids, except nitric acid. Germanium is an important semiconductor, mainly used in transistors and integrated circuits. They are often made from germanium to which small amounts of arsenic, gallium, or other metals. Germanium forms many compounds.
What food is germanium in?
Germanium is a naturally occurring element. Trace amounts can be found in foods such as shiitake mushrooms, garlic, tuna, and tomato juice. However, it is not an essential nutrient for human health.
What is Germanium an example of?
The Germanium element is not doped with any impurities. Hence, it is an intrinsic semiconductor.So, Germanium is an example of an intrinsic semiconductor.
Is germanium magnetic?
Abstract. The magnetic susceptibility of highly doped germanium has been measured between 300°K and 1.3°K. The contribution of the carriers to the susceptibility has been derived from the data.
Is germanium radioactive?
Germanium 76 is slightly radioactive and is the least common. Germanium 74 is the most common isotope having the greatest natural abundance of the five. Under the condition of being bombarded with alpha particles, Germanium 72 generates stable Se 77.
What does germanium stand for?
Germanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ge and atomic number 32. It is a lustrous, hard-brittle, grayish-white metalloid in the carbon group, chemically similar to its group neighbors silicon and tin. Pure germanium is a semiconductor with an appearance similar to elemental silicon.
Is germanium a rare earth metal?
Rare earth elements are also expected to play a big part in the future. Cerium, the most common, is similar in abundance to copper and more abundant than lead, tin, cadmium, boron, tantalum, germanium and numerous other commonly used elements. Even so, rare earth elements are in short supply.
What does a germanium ring do?
Product Description. Germanium is a rare semiconductor element that has a small band gap that allows it to efficiently respond to infrared light. The negative-charge ions from Germanium will help in blood purification and balancing the positive and negative ions within the body.
Do negative ion bracelets give off radiation?
You’ve probably seen negative ion bracelets before: colorful loops of silicon promoting the ability to increase balance, reduce pain and restore energy. But we have bad news: Folks who wear negative-ion bracelets are getting three times more radiation every day than the average American.
What gas is germanium found in?
Germanium is located in the middle of the carbon family, which is Group 14 (IVA) in the periodic table. The periodic table is a chart that shows how chemical elements are related to each other. Carbon and silicon are above germanium and tin and lead are below it.
What is the chemical symbol of germanium?
Ge
How is arsenic used in everyday life?
Arsenic is used as a doping agent in semiconductors (gallium arsenide) for solid-state devices. It is also used in bronzing, pyrotechnics and for hardening shot. Arsenic compounds can be used to make special glass and preserve wood.
Which is the rarest element on the Earth?
A team of researchers using the ISOLDE nuclear-physics facility at CERN has measured for the first time the so-called electron affinity of the chemical element astatine, the rarest naturally occurring element on Earth.
Who invented germanium?
Germanium, element #32, was discovered in 1886 by Clemens Winkler. Its first broad application was in the form of point contact Schottky diodes for radar reception during WWII.
