Barium

Barium (BAR-i-em) is the fifty-sixth element on the periodic table. The solid’s melting point is 1340.6 degrees fahrenheit while its boiling point is 3446.6 degrees fahrenheit. It’s density is 3.62 grams per cubic centimeter. The name barium came from the word barys, which means heavy in Greek. The element barium was first isolated by Sir Humphry Davy, a British chemist, in 1808. Davy founded it through the electrolysis of molten baryta. It is never found free in …

…the presence of charcoal. These stones, were discovered near Bologna, Italy in the early 1500’s and were thought to possess magical properties.” All barium compounds are poisonous, but barium sulfate can be safetly ingested since it doesn’t dissolve in water. It is also a good absorber of X-rays and, when swallowed, can be used to produce X-ray images of the intestinal tract. Finally, you can use barium in making rubber and creating rat poison.