A Visual Encyclopedia of the Periodic Table

150

The Carbon Group

The chemical symbol for lead, Pb,

comes from the Latin word plumbum.

This is where the word “plumber” comes from:

in ancient Roman times, water pipes used in

plumbing were made from this soft metal.

Lead compounds are found in the minerals

crocoite, anglesite, and galena – the main

source of pure lead. Lead was used far

more commonly in the past as an important

ingredient in paints, hair-dyes, and insecticides.

A common historical use was in glassware.

It has limited applications today. Lead can

For many

years, lead and

tin were thought to

be different forms

of the same

metal.

Pb

82

Forms

Uses

Lead

The prism-like cr ystals

of this mineral contain

a lead-sulfur compound.

Rust-resistant pipe

This mineral has a

bright, silvery shine.

This soft, crumbly mineral

is made of lead chromate.

This cr ystal glass sparkles more

than regular glass because

it contains lead oxide.

Galena

Brown crocoite

Lead pipe

82 82 126

State: Solid

Discovery: Ancient

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150-151_Lead_Flerovium.indd 150 02/12/16 6:54 pm