A Visual Encyclopedia of the Periodic Table

60

Most of the iron on our planet is locked away

in Earth’s hot, molten core. This element is

widely found in rocks worldwide, and almost

2.5 billion tonnes of iron is purified every year.

Mineral ores rich in iron include pyrite. Other

ores, including haematite, are used to extract

pure iron in a process called smelting. Iron-rich

meteorites – chunks of rock from outer space

that crash to Earth – are one of very few sources

of naturally pure iron. The human body uses iron

to make haemoglobin, a substance in blood that

carries oxygen around our body (oxygen helps

Forms

Iron

Fe

26

26 26 30

State: Solid

Discovery: c. 3500 bce

Cube-shaped

cr ystal

This mineral is a

compound of iron

and sulfur.

Py

rit

e

Pure iron is a

brittle metal that

can shatter easily.

Blood sample

Blood contains almost

70% of the iron in the

human body.

Spinach leaves provide not

only iron but other important

elements, such as potassium,

calcium, and manganese.

Sp

ina

ch (^) l
eaves
Solid lump
of pure iron
Iron
is the most
common
metal
on our planet.
Ir
on
m
ete
orite
re
fi
n
ed
i
n
a
l
ab
or
a
to
ry
C
h
u
n
k
o
f^
p
ur
e^
ir
on
060-061_Iron.indd 60 12/12/16 5:37 pm