Oliman1

Lucca Oliman

Mrs. Stevens

Physical Science

10 December 2018

Research Paper

Have you ever heard of the element that is called Gallium. Well Gallium is the thirty first

element on the periodic table. With this element I performed an experiment of which asking

which surface does Gallium harden faster on? Wood, Glass, or Metal? If you did not know

Gallium melting point is eighty-five point fifty-eight degrees fahrenheit. A healthy human hand

is around ninety-eight point six degrees fahrenheit, so Gallium will melt in your hand. This

product will not melt immediately, but will once the whole piece has reached its melting point. “​I

thought that if I melt Gallium and put it on wood, metal, and glass, then it would harden fastest

on metal due to its good heat conductivity”.

Crystalline solids have more sharp and more determined melting points. An amorphous

solid has no actual symmetry. The amorphous solids do not have as well defined melting points.

Amorphous solids examples: ​glass, plastic, and gel. Amorphous solids are usually made by

quickly cooling molten material. It is a solid whose properties are arranged in a higher directed

microscopic object.

If you do not use gloves while using gallium it will leave a lead like stain on your hand.

Gallium can and may hurt other metals so it is probably better if you keep it away from jewelry

like rings and necklaces. ​People that have used the product gallium before have discovered
 Oliman2

redness, itching, and inflammation after use of gallium on bare skin. Gallium will leave a silver

stain that is not easy to wash off and loses small portions of your sample each time you use this

product. Gallium has been found to not be toxic. Wearing gloves is the easiest and best way to

keep the same amount of gallium and lesser chances of getting dermatitis. (Helmenstine)

The orthorhombic crystal structure of gallium makes the gallium atom have only one

close parallel. ​Orthorhombic definition: a procedure of crystallization renowned by three

disturbed axes’ meeting at right angles. There are seven crystal systems: Tricinic, Monoclinic,

Orthorhombic, Tetragonal, Trigonal, Hexagonal, and Cubic. There is four Bravais lattices in the

orthorhombic system. (Block)

Gallium is very useful in thermometers, barometers, pharmaceuticals and nuclear

medicine tests. Many gallium that is produced is used to make gallium arsenide, a concoction

used in microwaves, infrared circuits, and semiconductors. Gallium is sometimes mixed with

arsenic making it gallium arsenide and is then used in electrical gadgets such as microwaves and

solar cells. Gallium alloys are used in some medical thermometers as a non-toxic replacement for

mercury. Gallium arsenide is very useful in electrical devices because it produces less noise.

Many would usually want a gadget that is not to loud. (Pedersen)

Galliums melting point is Eight-Five point Fifty-Eight degrees Fahrenheit.​ Gallium is

more likely to melt in warmer or hotter water than cool water. Obviously colder water will not

melt the gallium. Even hot or boiling water will not melt the gallium instantly even though it is a

heat conductor it is a metal and takes a little for it to turn into liquid state. Gallium will not start

to melt until the whole chunk of it is almost to its melting point. It is common sense that if the

water is below the melting point it will not melt or not melt as fast. (Streamtronics)
 Oliman3

Studies have shown that gallium nitrate is against tumors. ​Gallium nitrate is also against

lymphoma and bladder cancer. Recent development in the treatment of lymphoma, a major

number of patients yield to this disease each new year. It is still being studied as a treatment for

cancer because some patients still do not respond to it in a positive way or don’t respond to it at

all. Some studies have shown that cellular gallium intake works better with gallium maltolate

than with gallium nitrate. Gallium still may or may not be a treatment for cancer. (Chitambar)

I thought that if I melt Gallium and put it on wood, metal, and glass, then it would harden

fastest on metal due to its good heat conductivity, and I found out that my hypothesis was correct

and Gallium did harden faster on metal. ​Although Gallium did harden faster on metal, the

hardening on the glass came pretty close. In the end the Gallium on the glass almost kept up with

the hardening on the metal. This experiment was a tad bit costly but it was worth buying for this

fascinating experiment. Now you know what surface to put Gallium on to harden the quickest.
 Oliman4

Works Cited

Block_Elements/Group_13%3A_The_Boron_Family/Z%3D031_Chemistry_of_Gallium_(Z%3

D31).

Block_Elements/Group_13%3A_The_Boron_Family/Z%3D031_Chemistry_of_Gallium_(Z%3

D31).

Helmenstine, Anne Marie. “How to Melt Gallium Metal in Your Hand (Safely).” ​Thoughtco.​,

Dotdash, 29 Dec. 2017, ​www.thoughtco.com/melt-gallium-metal-in-your-hand-607521​.

Pedersen, Traci. “Facts About Gallium.” ​LiveScience​, Purch, 25 July 2017,

www.livescience.com/29476-gallium.html​.

Streamtronics. “Melting Gallium in Hot Water.” ​YouTube,​ YouTube, 20 Aug. 2014,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBLul6XYNKw​.

www.britannica.com/science/crystal/Types-of-bonds​.