Tellurium - Tales from the Periodic Table

Like our previous element, Antimony, this element also looks like a metal, but shatters if you hit it with a hammer. Not only that, but it's a pretty good electrical and thermal *insulator*, yet it's used in thermoelectric devices and solar panels. One of its isotopes has the longest half-life of any element. Yep, it's Tellurium. Check out this video for many more details.

If you like this video, check out other elements in the Tales From The Periodic Table playlist:

In the spirit of amplifying the Black Lives Matter movement and to avoid any appearance of having appropriated that title, our long-running series of talks formerly called "Everything Matters: Tales from the Periodic Table" will now be called, simply, "Tales from the Periodic Table".

[raybo]

The theme song is goated. Love your channel brother, keep em coming

[vitalijslebedevs]

Most underrated ('chemistry') channel i've seen. Keep up the detailed analysis, as encyclopedic knowledge and it's practical consequences makes up the World and technology.
If Ron had personal public stocks or crypto, i'd invest)))

[Truthorshit]

Well done!
I am going to watch your playlist, thank you "Sir"

[Tranceman]

I have noticed a trend lately. Progressive trance D.J.s are naming their songs after elements in the periodic table. So nice to see the elements promoted by pop culture.

[ernestoterrazas]

Fabulous program’s super interesting and well informed, Congratulations and thank you for shearing your big knowledge.

[rolandobustos]

One question: I have tellurium in ores, with what acid can I extract the tellurium?

[brfisher]

I find it hard to believe that tellurium is part of the same group as oxygen (the chalcogen group) as the two elements seem nothing alike other than having six valence electrons like oxygen is a strong oxidizer whereas tellurium (along with sulfur and selenium) is not.

I can seem similarities between the halogens fluorine and iodine but not of the chalcogens oxygen and tellurium.

[brfisher]

I think the chalcogens should've been called the "bromogens" (from the words "Bromos" being Greek for "stink" ang "-gen" being Greek for "to produce") since elements of this group (excluding oxygen of course) tend to make foul smelling compounds! 🤢🤢😷😷😷😷

We can see that odor trend with water (hydrogen oxide) and the other hydrogen chalcogenides for example with the odor worsening with a heavier chalcogen replacing the lighter one beginning with water (no odor), to hydrogen sulfide (rotten eggs) to hydrogen selenide (rotten horseradish or leeks) and finally hydrogen telluride (rotten garlic), thank goodness oxygen doesn't follow in the stench trend! 😂😂😂😂