10 Zinc Facts (Atomic Number 30 or Zn)

10 Zinc Facts (Atomic Number 30 or Zn) Zinc is a blue-gray metallic element, sometimes called spelter. You come in contact with this metal every day, and not only that, your body needs it to survive. Fast Facts: Zinc Element Name: ZincElement Symbol: ZnAtomic Number: 30Appearance: Silver-gray metalGroup: Group 12 (transition metal)Period: Period 4Discovery: Indian metallurgists before 1000 BCEFun Fact: Zinc salts burn blue-green in a flame. Heres a collection of 10 interesting facts about the element zinc: Zinc has the element symbol Zn and atomic number 30, making it a transition metal and the first element in Group 12 of the periodic table. Sometimes zinc is considered to be a post-transition metal.The element name is believed to come from the  German word zinke, which means pointed. This is likely a reference to the pointed zinc crystals that form after zinc is smelted.  Paracelsus, a Swiss-born, German Renaissance physician, alchemist, and astrologer, is credited with giving zinc its name. Andreas Marggraf is credited with isolating the element zinc in 1746, by heating  calamine ore and carbon together in a closed vessel, however, English metallurgist  William Champion had actually patented his process for isolating zinc several years earlier. While Champion may have been the first to isolate zinc, zinc smelting had been in practice in India since the 9th century BC. According to the International Zinc Association (ITA), zinc was recognized as a unique substance in India by 1374 and is believed to have been discovered by Indian metallurgists before 1000 BCE. Although zinc was used by the ancient Greeks and Romans, it was not as common as iron or copper, probably because the element boils away prior to reaching the temperature required to extract it from ore. However, artifacts do exist proving its early use, including a sheet of Athenian zinc, dating back to 300 B.C. Because zinc is often found with copper, the metals use was more common as an alloy rather than as a pure element.Zinc is an essential mineral for human health. It is the second-most abundant metal in the body, after iron. The mineral is important for immune function, white blood cell formation, egg fertilization, cell division, and a host of other enzymatic reactions. Zinc deficiency may also be a causal factor in age-related vision deterioration. Foods rich in zinc include lean meat and seafood. Oysters are particularly rich in zinc.While its important to get enough zinc, too much can cause problems. Too much zinc can suppress the absorption of iron and copper. Ingesting c oins containing zinc has been known to cause death, as the metal reacts with gastric juice, corroding the gastrointestinal tract and producing zinc intoxication. One noteworthy side effect of excessive zinc exposure is a permanent loss of smell and/or taste. The FDA has issued warnings regarding zinc nasal sprays and swabs. Problems from excessive ingestion of zinc lozenges or from industrial exposure to zinc have also been reported. Zinc has many uses. It is the fourth-most common metal for industry, after iron, aluminum, and copper. Of the 12 million tons of the metal produced annually, about half goes to galvanization. Brass and bronze production account for another 17% of zincs usage. Zinc, its oxide, and other compounds are found in batteries, sunscreen, paints, and other products.Although galvanization is used to protect metals against corrosion, zinc actually does tarnish in air. The product is a layer of zinc carbonate, which inhibits further degradation, thus protecting the metal beneath it.Zinc forms several important alloys. Foremost among these is brass, an alloy of copper and zinc.Almost all mined zinc (95%) comes from zinc sulfide ore. Zinc is easily recycled and about 30% of the zinc produced annually is recycled metal.Zinc is the 24th-most abundant element in the Earths crust. Sources Bennett, Daniel R. M. D.; Baird, Curtis J. M.D.; Chan, Kwok-Ming; Crookes, Peter F.; Bremner, Cedric G.; Gottlieb, Michael M.; Naritoku, Wesley Y. M.D. (1997). Zinc Toxicity Following Massive Coin Ingestion. American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology. 18 (2): 148–153. doi:10.1097/00000433-199706000-00008Cotton, F. Albert; Wilkinson, Geoffrey; Murillo, Carlos A.; Bochmann, Manfred (1999). Advanced Inorganic Chemistry (6th ed.). New York: John Wiley Sons, Inc. ISBN 0-471-19957-5.Emsley, John (2001). Zinc. Natures Building Blocks: An A-Z Guide to the Elements. Oxford, England, UK: Oxford University Press. pp. 499–505. ISBN 0-19-850340-7.Greenwood, N. N.; Earnshaw, A. (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 0-7506-3365-4.Heiserman, David L. (1992). Element 30: Zinc. Exploring Chemical Elements and their Compounds. New York: TAB Books. ISBN 0-8306-3018-X.

Formal Introductions in Japanese

Formal Introductions in Japanese Japan is a country whose culture stresses ritual and formality.  Proper etiquette is expected in business, for example, and even  saying​ hello  has a set of strict rules.  Japanese culture is steeped in honorific traditions and hierarchies depending on a persons age, social status, and relation. Even husbands and wives use honorifics when speaking to each other. Learning how to make formal introductions in Japanese is vital if you plan to visit the country, do business there, or even take part in ceremonies such as weddings. Something as seemingly innocuous as  saying hello at a party  comes with a strict set of social rules. The tables below can help ease you through this process. Each table includes the transliteration of the introductory word or phrase on the left, with the word or words written in Japanese letters underneath. (Japanese letters are generally written in  hiragana, which is the more widely used portion of the Japanese kana, or syllabary, having characters that are cursive.) The English translation is on the right. Formal Introductions In Japanese, there are several levels of formality. The expression, nice to meet you, is spoken very differently depending on the social status of the recipient. Note that those of a higher social status requires a longer greeting. Greetings also become shorter as the formality decreases. The table below shows how to deliver this phrase in Japanese, depending on the level of formality and/or the status of the person you are greeting. Douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu. Very formal expressionUsed to a higher Yoroshiku onegaishimasu. To a higher Douzo yoroshiku. To an equal Yoroshiku. To a lower Honorific O or Go As in English,  an  honorific  is a conventional word, title, or  grammatical  form that signals respect, politeness, or social deference. An honorific is also known as a  courtesy title  or an  address term. In Japanese,  the honorific o 㠁ŠÂ  or go 㠁” can be attached to the front of some nouns as a formal way of saying your. It is very polite.   o-kuni someone elses country o-namae someone elses name o-shigoto someone elses job go-senmon someone elses field of study There are some cases where o or go does not mean your. In these cases, the honorific o makes the word more polite. You might expect that tea, which is very important in Japan, would require an honorific o. But, even something as mundane as a toilet requires the honorific o as the table below illustrates. o-cha tea (Japanese tea) o-tearai toilet Addressing People The title san- meaning Mr., Mrs., or Miss- is used for both male and female names, followed by either the family name or the given name. It is a respectful title, so you cannot attach it your own name or to the name of one of your family members. For example, if a persons family name is  Yamada,  you would great him as  Yamada-san, which would be the equivalent of saying, Mr. Yamada. If a young, single womans name is Yoko, you would address her as  Yoko-san, which translates into English as Miss Yoko.