Element 26 in our International Year of the Periodic Table series is iron – found in our blood, on the Red Planet, and also responsible for our own planet’s magnetic field. Blood’s red colour comes from the iron-containing haemoglobin. It’s not just the colour of blood that haemoglobin contributes; it’s also responsible for ferrying oxygen …

Element 25 in our International Year of the Periodic Table elements series is manganese, found in railways, our bones and enzymes, and drinks cans. Manganese is added to steel to strengthen it. This steel is then used for railway lines, safes, and prison bars. There’s more interesting science on the reason leaves on railway lines …

Element 24 in our International Year of the Periodic Table elements series is chromium. It’s the element that gives rubies their colour and is also responsible for the characteristic yellow colour of school buses. The colour of many gemstones is due to the presence of impurities. In the case of rubies, which are composed of aluminium …

Element 23 in our International Year of the Periodic Table elements series is vanadium. Vanadium is found in some steels to improve their hardness and is also behind the yellow blood of some animals. Steel used to make tools such as wrenches and drill bits often have vanadium added in small amounts. This increases the …

Element 22 in our International Year of the Periodic Table series is titanium. A key component of many sunscreens, titanium is also found in the parts of the International Space Station, as well as in artificial joints. Titanium dioxide is a key component of sunscreens. Nanoparticles of titanium dioxide absorb and scatter ultraviolet light, preventing …

The latest in our International Year of the Periodic Table series is scandium, our first foray into the d block elements. Scandium is used in lamps for film and photography, in strong but lightweight alloys for jets and sports equipment, and to detect leaks in underground pipes. Scandium iodide is added to lamps used in …

Element 20 in our International Year of the Periodic Table series with the Royal Society of Chemistry is calcium. Found in the body in our bones and teeth, calcium also pops up in cheese-making and construction work. Bones and teeth are composed of hydroxyapatite, a form of calcium phosphate. The human body contains 1 kilogram …

Here’s the monthly summary of chemistry stories that have hit the news. This month features news on a new record for the world’s smallest periodic table, how stir bar contamination could affect chemical reactions in laboratories across the world, and more! Larger summary images for each item are provided below, along with links to articles …

Element number 19 in our International Year of the Periodic Table series is potassium – used to make soaps, and also the reason that bananas are radioactive. Potassium hydroxide is commonly used to make soaps. There’s some detail on the soap-making process in this graphic comparing soaps and body wash. It’s most commonly used to …

Best known for being everyone’s favourite chemistry pun (“all the good chemistry jokes argon”), argon is the next element in our International Year of the Periodic Table series. Though it’s an invisible gas, it pops up in a number of places in our everyday lives. As a poor conductor of heat, argon commonly finds use …