Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 1.2.
Dates of discovery of elements of atmospheric importance
Origin of name or
Year
Element
previous name
discovered
Discoverer
Lead (Pb)
Previously
biblicalx,
plumbum nigrum
c. 6400 BC
?
Iron (Fe)
Named after
Iarn
c. 2700 BC
?
Mercury (Hg)
Means “runny silver”
(
hydrargyrum
)
c. 2500 BC
?
Carbon (C)
Named from
carbo
,“charcoal”
BC
?
Sulfur (S)
Named from
sulvere
,
sulphurium
,
previously
brimstone
BC
?
Phosphorus (P)
Means “light bearer”
1669
Brand (Sweden)
Hydrogen (H)
Means “water producer”
<
1520, 1766
Paracelsus (Switzerland),
Cavendish (England)
Fluorine (F)
Named from
fluere
,“flow” or “flux”
1771
Scheele (Sweden)
Nitrogen (N)
Means “nitre maker”
1772
Rutherford (England)
Oxygen (O)
Means “acid maker”
1774, 1772-1775
Priestley (England), Scheele (Sweden)
Chlorine (Cl)
Means “green gas”
1774
Scheele (Sweden)
Sodium (Na)
Named from
soda
1807
Davy (England)
Potassium (K)
Named from
potash
1807
Davy (England)
Calcium (Ca)
Named from
calx
1808
Davy (England)
Silicon (Si)
Named from
silex
,“flint”
1823
Berzelius (Sweden)
Bromine (Br)
Means
stench
1826
Balard (France)
Aluminum (Al)
Found in
alum
1827
Wohler (Germany)
Magnesium (Mg)
Named after Magnesia, Greece
1830
Bussy (France)
Helium (He)
Named from
Helios
,Greek sun god
1868
Janssen (France), Lockyer (England)
Argon (Ar)
Named from
argos
,“lazy”
1894
Rayleigh (England), Ramsay (Scotland)
Krypton (Kr)
Named from
kryptos
, “concealed”
1898
Ramsey, Travers (Scotland)
Neon (Ne)
Named from
neos
,“new”
1898
Ramsey, Travers (Scotland)
Xenon (Xe)
Named from
xenos
,“guest”
1898
Ramsey, Travers (Scotland)
Polonium (Po)
Named after the country of Poland
1898
Curie, Curie (France)
Radon (Rn)
Originally named
radium
emanation
1900
Dorn (Germany)
pipes. The pervasive use of lead by the Romans in
cookware, pipes, face powders, rouges, and paints is
believed to have contributed to the slow poisoning of
the aristocracy in the Roman Empire. In particular, the
wine sweetener and preservative
defrutum
,produced in
part by the boiling must in lead pots, was consumed in
large quantities by the wealthy. The Romans knew of
the dangers of lead. Vitruvius, in
De Architectura
,for
example, professed,
lead must be injurious, because from it white lead (lead
carbonate) is obtained, and this is said to be injurious to
the human system. . . . This may be verified by observ-
ing the workers in lead, who are of a pallid colour; for
in casting lead, the fumes from it fixing on the different
members, and daily burning them, destroy the vigour
of the blood; water should therefore on no account be
conducted in leaden pipes if we are desirous that it
should be wholesome. (VIII.6-10-11)
Nevertheless, the Romans continued with their addic-
tion to the metal. The consequence was epidemics of
Water conducted through earthen pipes is more whole-
some than that through lead; indeed that conveyed in
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