Page 96 - The Periodic Table Book

78
Pt Platinum

State: Solid
78 78 117 Discovery: Unknown

This dense, shiny mineral
Transition Metals consisting of platinum and high temperature
Forms
arsenic is the most common
Platinum
ore of platinum.
melts at the

of 1,768°C
(3,214ºF). Nugget of pure platinum

refined in a laboratory

Large nuggets
of pure platinum
Sperrylite
are rare.

Spanish explorers first found platinum in even at high temperatures. This makes it difficult
the mines of South America in the 1700s. to extract from its ores, such as sperrylite. Pure
They obtained a whitish substance that the locals platinum does not corrode or tarnish. It is,
living near there called platina, meaning “little however, not easy to shape or mould, so use of
silver”. This precious metal has a silvery white platinum was limited to the making of simple
94 shine. Platinum rarely reacts with other elements, jewellery and watches. By the 20th century,

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