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tellurium

Primary Information
Secondary Information

Definition

Tellurium is a chemical element with the symbol Te and atomic number 52. It is a brittle, silvery-white metalloid.

Tellurium is not found in nature in its pure form. It is found in combination with other elements, such as gold, silver, and copper.

Tellurium is used in a variety of applications, including:

  • Photocells
  • Thermoelectric materials
  • Pigments

How can the word be used?

Tellurium is used in the production of paints, plastics, and rubber.

tellurium

Different forms of the word

Noun:

a chemical element with the symbol Te and atomic number 52. It is a non-metal that is found in small amounts in nature.

Adjective:

relating to or containing tellurium.

Etymology

The word "tellurium" comes from the Latin word "tellus", which means "earth".

The first recorded use of the word "tellurium" was in 1782, by the Austrian mineralogist Franz-Joseph Müller von Reichenstein. He discovered tellurium in a gold mine in Transylvania (now Zlatna, Romania).

The word "tellurium" is a New Latin word, which means that it was created by scientists. It is derived from the Latin word "tellus", which means "earth". This is because tellurium was first discovered in a mineral that was thought to be a form of sulfur.

Here are some other etymological details about the word "tellurium":

The Latin word "tellus" is also the root of the word "tellurian", which means "of or relating to the Earth".

The name "tellurium" is a reminder of the fact that the element is found in the Earth's crust.

Question

What can tellurium be used for?