Lost in the midst of the Periodic Table, the chalcogens do not stick out; because they are overshadowed by the noble gases and resting in the middle of the p-block, they are not noticed as often as the other groups. However, this should not happen because the chalcogens, also known as Group 16, are very important in society and to the functioning of humans and all living things. Characterized by oxygen, sulfur, selenium, tellurium, and polonium, the chalcogens are similar in build and function but all provide different vital needs for humans and other beings on earth. They are very important, and should not be overlooked.
First, a brief introduction of each of the individual elements. Oxygen is a familiar word for everyone – it is what most living things breathe on a daily basis. It is the first element in the group, and has the chemical symbol O and atomic number 8. It was officially discovered when Joseph Priestly saw that a candle burned brighter and a mouse lived longer while breathing what he called “dephlogisticated air”. Oxygen is one of the most common elements and is, inevitably, found all around the earth and in many things.
Sulfur has the chemical symbol S and has the atomic number 16. It has been referenced to in history (and even Genesis, as “brimstone”) and is even superstitiously linked to demons. It was unofficially discovered so long in the past that there is uncertainty on who initially found it. Sulfur also has ties with alchemy because in the ancient time, alchemists thought that if it was mixed with mercury it would turn to gold! Perhaps a bit more applicable, when a volcano erupts, the smell of rotten eggs can be attributed to sulfur. In all, sulfur is around a lot more than one would first ...
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Sulfur goes back to the ancient times but it was called brimstone. In 1979, a French chemist named Antoine Lavoisier recognized sulfur was an element and added it to his list of elements. The element sulfur is considered a nonmetal and is the 10th most abundant element in the universe. On the periodic table sulfur is in group sixteen and it is a representative element. Sulfur has an atomic mass of 32.07 with an atomic number of 16. There are three energy levels for sulfur the first energy level is two, the second energy level is eight, and the third energy level is six.
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The best-selling novel, The Disappearing Spoon, is written by Sam Kean. The book revolves around the periodic table. It goes into such depth of the table, it is literally an adventure historically, politically, and scientifically. Not to mention, it is relevant to what has been learned this school year, which is what I’ll be talking about in this paper. The book is extremely helpful in learning the periodic table of elements, which is an imperative tool to have when studying physical science or chemistry, for example. It fills an unknown void of what the table is, solving mysteries as the chapter progresses.
Sulfur is found in the cells of all living organisms and plays a critical role in the oxygenation and detoxification of all cells. It is one of the basic building blocks used throughout the body to make a variety of chemicals such as enzymes, collagen, amino acids, hormones, neurotransmitters, and much more.
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Since its humble beginning as a small drugstore, Merck has placed a large amount of importance on improving the health and well-being of its customers. As drug patents expire and genetic forms of their top products become available, Merck’s strategy is to do the unexpected; instead of raising the price of their older products in favor of patent protected new drugs, Merck focuses on reducing their cost in order to better compete with their generic counterparts. Additionally, Merck’s plan for growth now encompasses a much more aggressive pursuit of new drugs in their pipeline through extensive research. Merck became the second largest health care company in the world after the merger with Schering-Plough in 2009 and has contributed great discoveries like the first cervical cancer vaccine and great resources like the Merck Manuals which are utilized as a source of information to doctors, scientists and consumers worldwide .
The writings of some Greek philosophers may be considered to be among the very first chemical theories, such as the theory that all things are composed of air, earth, fire, and water. Each of these were represented by different elements, such as sulfur, salt, mercury, and, ideally, gold. Other ideas held by alchemists were that each of the known elements were represented by heavenly bodies. Gold was earth's representation of the sun, silver for the moon, mercury for the planet Mercury, copper for Venus, iron for Mars, tin for Jupiter, and lead for Saturn.
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