Fluorine

Charcoal lit in the presence of fluorine gas

Fluorine is located on the periodic table in group 17 period 2, is symbol is F. It has an atomic number of 9 and is a gas at room temperature; visually it is yellow looking gas. Its electron configuration is He2s^22p^5, It has a melting point of -219.67 degrees Celsius, a boiling point of -188.11 degrees Celsius. Its atomic mass is around 18.998, its electronegativity is 3.98 by the Pauling scale. It was sometime before Fluorine was isolated, many who tried died because Fluorine’s gas form would get into their lungs and burn them from the inside basically burning and suffocating them at the same time. The first instance of Fluorine’s existence was the mineral Fluorspar which was discovered in 1530 by Geogious Aricola.

Fluorspar

Fluorspar is actually Calcium Fluoride it became intensely studied by early chemists. In 1670, German glass cutter Heinrich Schwanhard discovered that a mixture of fluorspar and acid formed a compound that could be used in etching glass. Etching is when you draw a pattern into glass, it leaves a frosted image. Etching is used to make shapes on the glass as well as precise scientific measuring instruments. The new etching compound was identified in 1771 by Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele (1742-86). Scheele described, in great detail, hydrofluoric acid. His work set off an intense study of the acid. The goal that everyone experimenting with hydrofluoric acid was shooting for was to isolate it into its separate base elements. Now many were successful, a Belgian Paulin Louyet (1818-50), died from his failed experiments. Fluorine was isolated in 1886, by French chemist Henri Moissan. Moissan had actually been attempting to isolate the element for some time, his early experiments have been interrupted by he himself getting poisoned. He used the electrolysis method with hydrofluoric acid and some potassium, the gas that came out of the apparatus was dubbed Fluorine. Fluorine is 108 parts of our Earth’s crust by moles, and it cost around 100 dollars every 190 grams. It is commercially produced by the same method used by Moissan, top three producers are China, Mexico, and Mongolia. Visually Fluorine is a yellow gas that is highly corrosive and flammable, it is a liquid at -188.13°C and a solid at -219.61°C. Although it is the most active element Fluorine will not make compounds with: Oxygen, Argon, Helium, and Neon. Fluorine is the lightest member of the halogen group. It is the most active of all the elements, but is ranks 13th on the list of most common elements in the earth’s crust. Fluorine will even react with the infamous noble gases given the correct temperature and pressure. The term Fluorescence, meaning light that come from the absorption of another light, comes from Fluoride. When Fluorite crystals are exposed to sunlight and then put into darkness they will glow in the dark. Like Oxygen Fluorine helps materials burn so it is commonly used in rocket fuels. Some time ago scientist discovered the small amounts of Fluorine helps fight tooth decay, this resulting in Fluorine being in many toothpastes.