Calcium is an abundant mineral found in the earth’s crust and is vital for a healthy diet and body health. It has various industrial uses and was isolated in 1808 by Sir Humphrey Davy. It is classified as an alkaline earth metal and is found in compounds such as limestone, chalk, and plants. Calcium is used to make materials such as concrete and is also an important component of bones, teeth, and shells.
Calcium is a metallic chemical element that appears in great abundance in many compounds of the earth’s crust. It is one of the most abundant minerals on Earth, in fact, and it is also a vital component of many living organisms, making calcium a very important element of a healthy diet. Dietary calcium is found in a number of foods, and also in the form of vitamin and mineral supplements, for people at risk of deficiency. In addition to being important for body health, it also has a wide range of industrial uses, both in pure form and in numerous compounds.
Many ancient cultures used calcium compounds for a variety of things, although the element was not isolated in 1808. Sir Humphrey Davy, a noted chemist, was able to extract it from calcium chloride by passing an electric current through the compound. The element’s name is taken from the Latin calx, for “limestone,” a reference to an abundant compound found in many parts of the world.
In its pure form, calcium is a silvery, solid, somewhat malleable element. It is classified with the alkaline earth metals, although it is less reactive than some of its relatives. The symbol Ca is used to identify it on the periodic table of elements, and the element has an atomic number of 20. When burned, calcium emits a yellow to red flame, and the elemental form will create a patina of sorts when exposed to the elements. air .
While not as reactive as some alkaline earth metals, it combines easily with a wide range of substances. Some common things that contain this mineral include limestone, chalk, plants and animals. Calcium is never found in elemental form in nature; rather, it appears in a large assortment of compounds. Pure ore is often extracted from calcium chloride, using much the same technique employed by Sir Davy in 1808.
Calcium carbonate, an abundant compound, is used to make materials such as concrete, quicklime, and cement. Other compounds are used in alloys, insecticides, deodorants, fertilizers, textile manufacturing, cosmetics, lighting, and rockets. In living organisms, this mineral is part of bones, teeth and shells, among other hard parts of the body. It is also transported in the blood, playing an important metabolic role in the body. Most animals take great pains to make sure they’re getting enough calcium, combining its consumption with vitamin D for maximum absorption.
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