By Bobby DeJoy

• Discovery of Rubidium

• Characteristics of Rubidium

• Source of Rubidium

• Uses of Rubidium

• Bibliography

• It was discovered in 1861 by Robert Bunsen and Gustav Kirchhoff.

• It was discovered by spectroscopy when Bunsen and Kirchhoff were studying the mineral lepidolite.

• Rubidium tends to react violently with water. • Occasionally, Rubidium can also ignite in air.• When held over a flame, it gives the flame a

reddish color, which is where it got its name. (Rubidus=red in Latin.)

• Rubidium is a very soft metal. • Finally, it also has a very high boiling point of

1270 degrees Fahrenheit.

• It is the 16th most abundant element in the Earth’s crust.

• It occurs naturally in the minerals leucite, pollucite, and zinnwaldite.

• The commercial source of Rubidium is Lepidolite.

• Rubidium can be used as– A “getter” in a vacuum

• A getter prevents any gases from remaining in a free state inside a vacuum tube.

– A photocell component• A solid-state device that converts light into electrical energy

– An ingredient in certain types of glass

• Rubidium also was considered for use in ion engines for spacecraft, but other elements such as Xe are more efficient.

• Bentor, Yinon. Chemical Element.com - Rubidium. Jan. 15, 2007 <http://www.chemicalelements.com/elements/rb.html>.

• Los Almos National Labs Chemistry Division. 13 Dec. 03. <http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/37.html> (1.13.2007).

• "Rubidium." Wikipedia. Dec.-Jan. 2007. 15 Jan. 2007     <http://wikipedia.org>.