Chemical elements as humans

Oct 2, 2016 8:26 AM

TheBloorigard

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313632

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15260

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331

Sauce: https://brightside.me/creativity-art/what-chemical-elements-would-look-like-if-they-were-people-243260/

@@butchmckenzie

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

...Mercury is not the heaviest metal. It's not even in the top ten heaviest.

9 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

A lot of these illustrations are wrong. Do not upvote just because it is cute.

9 years ago | Likes 21 Dislikes 2

I love this.

9 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 3

#5 the thirst is real

9 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

Underrated comment

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

As a biology/biochem student, I'm very disappointed that this made into on to FP.

9 years ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 0

as an ex-chem student, I agree.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Hmm... you could replace carbon by silica. Life finds a way.

9 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 3

No. All life ever discovered is earth carbon based. Silicon is far less usable for making complex branched compounds than carbon.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Thanks to few atomes of Gold, firefighters can 'breathe' in the middle of a blaze. They transform CO(deadly at [0,2%] in the air ) in CO2.

9 years ago | Likes 11 Dislikes 1

What kind of Marvel universe bullshit is this?

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Am I the only one who finds this mildly racist? All the colored people smell bad, are not social or their color is contagious?

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

gold does react to stuff doe, been a while since I was in school but.. lol

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Always upvote chemistry. Also periodic videos. :D

9 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 3

Damnit i saw hydrogen and thought this would go through all the elements

9 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 1

TOO LATE! I would have LOVED those at school

9 years ago | Likes 16 Dislikes 6

If only this were less misleading, it might be used for education.

9 years ago | Likes 11 Dislikes 2

See? I was so bored in class, I didn't even notice it's inaccurate

9 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

oxygen is not the most reactive. flourine and caesium are. mercury is not the heaviest metal. We don't even know whether the heaviest has 1/

9 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

the properties of a metal. Mercury is not the most dangerous. That'd go to one of the radioactive ones or caesium. 2/

9 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

sulfur in crystalline form does not smell. things it reacts with smell. Gold and neon do react, just not often or at room temperature.

9 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

and mercury is not the most fluid metal. It's only the most fluid metal at room temperature.

9 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

on every level but physical, I am Argon.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I feel like Sodium was going to rape, stalk, molest, murder, and/or fan-girl at H2O.

9 years ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 3

Potassium kind of does it https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IirgtxuleBw

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

It just burns up in it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bAhCHedVB4

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Hydrogen is more like a bunch of very small kids who can slip in between the bars of their playpen and get out.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I'm thirsty, I need water.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

What about silver :/

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

something else on sodium has exploded

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Hydrogen is the smallest not the biggest atom. If elements are people co2 should be 3 dudes and still has no place on that podium. (1/2)

9 years ago | Likes 18 Dislikes 0

Silver does not readily tarnish in air. Mercury is not the heaviest element, plutonium is. Probably the most dangerous too. This OP is fail.

9 years ago | Likes 11 Dislikes 0

to be fair, plutonium isn't that dangerous unless you get about ten kilograms of it as a solid mass, which will only stay that way briefly.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

yeah, breath in a few grams of plutonium powder and then say that again

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

breathe in a few drops of mercury and tell me it's less dangerous.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Danger is a subjective term, but if you're looking at which element will straight up kill you, then it's either Arsenic or Polonium. (1/2)

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I dunno, iron or nitrogen can kill you pretty easily too, and arsenic isn't too fast about it. Polonium however I wouldn't go near.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Not fast but it has a very low LD50 meaning even small amounts will absolutely take you out. (Maybe being slow actually makes it worse, idk)

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

OP's list still takes an L

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Really could've used this in HS...

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

No, you couldn't - Remember when Bugs Bunny taught Clyde about the American Revolution, and he came home with a dunce hat?

9 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

The air one is wrong. Argon, not CO2, is the third

9 years ago | Likes 14 Dislikes 4

CO2 isn't even an element.

9 years ago | Likes 14 Dislikes 0

So, we are carbon based life. Is there any evidence of any other species/ life form of any type being anything but?

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

In reality, no. Silicon is far less versatile, and has no gas form for life to encounter or use easily. Many other problems too. :(

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

theoretically, silicone based life is possible based on its similar valence electrons as carbon.

9 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 1

Thank you

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Silicon - silicone-based life exists, usually in RHM posts.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Silicone life might be possible but that's really leaning on carbon's branching ability interspersed with silicon atoms.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Element.ary

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Looks to me like Gold is reacting to Sulfur's stench.

9 years ago | Likes 1464 Dislikes 9

Good catch there.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Francium and Water have an explosive reaction.

9 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

9 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

9 years ago | Likes 102 Dislikes 1

I was going to say that toooo lol

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

As a chemist and someone who can make a quick academic journal check, gold can react with sulfur. The comic still checks out

9 years ago | Likes 82 Dislikes 1

Pretty sure fluorine is more reactive than oxygen as well, and aren't there a number of things oxygen won't react with?

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I'd say so. It's more electronegative and it can do stuff with some heavy noble gases

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

All of the halogens are reactive as fuck, but in chemistry you literally can refer to reactivity as oxidation state. Oxygen gets around.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Apropriate if you consider that sulfur reacts reasonably strongly with gold.

9 years ago | Likes 178 Dislikes 2

Then #2 is wrong

9 years ago | Likes 11 Dislikes 4

True, you can get anything to react under sufficiently violent condition. Even helium can be made to react with protons to form HeH+

9 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Heh

9 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

In what way?

9 years ago | Likes 38 Dislikes 0

Sufur corrodes gold. It's one of the few elements that will. Old gold that is tarnished is damaged by sulfur exposure.

9 years ago | Likes 76 Dislikes 0

Hydrogen is more like a small child on a sugar rush that clings onto any adult it touches

9 years ago | Likes 447 Dislikes 2

hydrogen is more like an googol pairs of the same twins

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

That's more like fluorine. Also, the sodium shown in fluorine's image does have an electron to happily give away.

9 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Small sugar fiend child with a large fart cloud maybe? Idunno...

9 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

And gets super pissed and throws a temper tantrum if they turn him into H+.

9 years ago | Likes 106 Dislikes 2

*if they take his electron

9 years ago | Likes 36 Dislikes 0

Thanks.

9 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

How the fuck do you misinterpret hydrogen to be large!? It's the first and hence smallest element on the periodic table!

9 years ago | Likes 61 Dislikes 1

Because whoever made this was a fucking idiot. Hydrogen only takes up space because it's a gas.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 9

Uh... all matter takes up space. That's a key factor in it being, well, matter.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

Large in diameter, not mass. Like a balloon.

9 years ago | Likes 10 Dislikes 2

I thought it was because it said "widespread in the universe" As in very common

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Yeah no. It's electron orbitals are the largest as they have very little attraction to the nucleus

9 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 3

because the illustrator heard 1 tiny info blurb on an element and made ass-umptions about its other characteristics

9 years ago | Likes 20 Dislikes 0

Well the electron is furthest apart compared to any other element. Its a stretch but i get where the artist was coming from. Barely.

9 years ago | Likes 19 Dislikes 1

Except that everything else (other than helium or the next few as ions) have stuff in additional, outer orbitals.

9 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

By stuff do you mean electrons? Can you rephrase that. Im confused. We are speaking elements. We start talking ions and everything changes.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I think they meant since there's a lot of it it takes a lot of space. So its not representative of "an" atom :/

9 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Touché

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Still a stretch compared to the illustration.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

But yeah it's not the most faithful representation of Hydrogen itself :p

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I'm basing it on the text more than the illustration \o/

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Mercury is not the heaviest...

9 years ago | Likes 113 Dislikes 1

I think he meant the heaviest stable transition metal

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Thank you, I saw that and felt someone needed to fix that

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Osmium or iridium is the densest element.

9 years ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 1

Hassium has a predicted density of almost twice that of Osmium. It just decays so fast nobody has been able to measure it...

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

9 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 2

I think op means the heaviest fluid metal, but I don't even know if that's true.

9 years ago | Likes 18 Dislikes 2

GODDAMMIT I CAME HERE TO LAUGH AND NOW IM LIKE WELL NOW CURIOUSITY IS GETTING THE BEST OF ME AND NOW I GOTTA GO LEARN, SARAH DAMMIT.

9 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

Only at room temperature. There's a lot of temperature to experience, though. So it's garbage, mostly.

9 years ago | Likes 13 Dislikes 1

how long would the card need to be to explain all that, you're missing the point.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 7

That mercury isn't even slightly the heaviest nor most dangerous metal? Nope, I'm not.

9 years ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 0

But at room temperature, Mercury is the only liquid metal! And if we're allowing liquid allyos, I'd say NaK is much more dangerous.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

"Room temperature". Gallium melts at 85.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Mercury is the only liquid *elemental* metal at room temperature. Gallium-indium eutectic melts at 15C.

9 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

And also not the most dangerous.

9 years ago | Likes 75 Dislikes 0

Arsenic? idk, I never had much chemistry in school :x

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

also not the most fluid, only the most fluid at room temperature

9 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

I'd take exposure to mercury over thallium

9 years ago | Likes 11 Dislikes 0

v

9 years ago | Likes 36 Dislikes 0

Took me a moment to get this, but made me laugh. +1

9 years ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 0

Arsenic, Radium, Uranium, Plutonium...

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

You can actually substitute phosphorous with arsenic and sustain life. It's common belief you can't have life without phosphorous but 1/

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

we've found some bacteria that sustain life using arsenic as a substitute. So long as you don't need bones you're fine

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I know it's simplified, but.. so... friggin.. wrong... (some are alright)

9 years ago | Likes 664 Dislikes 31

Yeah, that was disappointing. Expected chemistry humor, got kindergarden intro to elements.

9 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Some of them even contradict each other...

9 years ago | Likes 34 Dislikes 2

My thoughts as well. Mercury is the most dangerous? I'd pick holding some mercury over enriched uranium any day.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Agreed, this post was a cringe-fest from start to finish.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

CO2 being the "third" atmospheric gas, for one.

9 years ago | Likes 14 Dislikes 0

Argon, correct?

9 years ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 0

Yes!

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Yeah, at around 1%, but CO2 is more important, which I guess is why it's included, again, it's not an element either though... :/

9 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

Well to be fair, pure Oxygen and Nitrogen, for the most part, exist as diatomic molecules, correct?

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Yeah, but they are still elemental. They don't have to be single atoms, eg elemental sulphur is S8, carbon can form large crystals (diamond)

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I agree these are too simplified and I think spreads more misconceptions than actual fact.

9 years ago | Likes 17 Dislikes 1

It's close enough for primary school, I think.

9 years ago | Likes 231 Dislikes 10

Or someone who failed chem

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I agree, but it hurts.

9 years ago | Likes 40 Dislikes 4

You can't draw the smallest of all the elements as a big fat guy, and stuffing water into a bunch of elements is misleading at best.

9 years ago | Likes 76 Dislikes 2

you see, it makes sense because hydrogen is not dense at all, so if u were gonna store it in a tank, it would have 2 be vry big tank.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

2000 hydrogen molecules take up the same space as 2000 oxygen molecules, at the same pressure.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

It's an illustration of the relative mass of Hydrogen contra other elements in the universe, and by that measure, Hydrogen is "big".

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

That's not how I read it, but so long as the primary school kids aren't confused by a giant hydrogen atom I guess it's close enough

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I thought the same. In my chemistry notes I always drew Hydrogen as tiny, Oxygen as a stealing electron ass, and Potassium as an explosive-

9 years ago | Likes 22 Dislikes 0

Little shit. Gold was underappreciated, Chlorine and Sodium were best buddies that would het high together.

9 years ago | Likes 17 Dislikes 0

"N is the main component of air" .... that's... that's it?

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I saw Nitrogen as a cold and distant guy, since the first time I heard of if it was when I saw someone freeze a rose with liquid N.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I think of hydrogen as boys, oxygen as the prettiest girl in the room, and carbon as a bisexual tart :)

9 years ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 0

Explain.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

They are great for elementary school / people who have never heard of elements. If you are actually into chemistry, it's just underwhelming.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Also, what would make mercury the most dangerous? It used to be used as a cure for syphilis. There are nastier elements then Hg.

9 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 1

Polonium is one element you just do not fuck with

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I had to look up his name but Alexander Litvineko was poisoned with Polonium, messed him up pretty good.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Thallium is way more toxic

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

The one that bothered me is mercury, there are heavier elements by atomic mass and I believe osmium is the most dense element/metal.

9 years ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 1

[deleted]

[deleted]

9 years ago (deleted Oct 2, 2016 4:24 PM) | Likes 0 Dislikes 0

'...the most fluid metal and the heaviest'

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 2

Right. METAL, not ELEMENT. ("there are heavier elements by atomic mass"). They should have said there are heavier METALS. Sheesh.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 2

Dense is by definition heavy. But to clarify, mercury is definitely not the heaviest metal.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 3

The point I was making was that the picture said "metal" not "element" so I wanted to make it clear what the claim being made was.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 1

In other words, if I claim the Titanic is the heaviest boat, you shouldn't say "Nah Jupiter is definitely heavier" even if Titanic (1)

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

density isn't weight, density is how tightly packed they are, if something is dense it's usually heavy but they aren't the same thing

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

The picture claimed Mercury was the heaviest metal, not element. So Osmium is the only relevance here. Other heavier elements aren't.

9 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 2

Metals with a higher atomic mass than Hg is still technically heavier. Lead, Francium, even Uranium would fit what I said about elements.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Yeah, my point was that the picture claimed Mercury was the heaviest metal, not element. I get it's not, but still.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Mercury is neither the densest nor the heaviest of metals: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chemical_elements.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I know.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

More info pls

9 years ago | Likes 24 Dislikes 2

Water is H₂O - it's understood when typing H2O, but drawing has no excuse. H₂O=HHO; H2O=HOO.(Really it's not H₂O, it's HOH, but barely used)

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Pretty much everything about mercury is wrong aside from being fluid. :x It's not the most dangerous, definitely not the heaviest.

9 years ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 0

The one about Oxygen, they should not have used the term inert gases. Nitrogen gas is definitely inert and nitrogen bonds with oxygen.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

One sauce for Aqua Regia which is mentioned by @Volt1ighter. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aqua_regia

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Mercury is the only metal that is a liquid at ambient conditions. It's the heaviest stable transition metal. Danger is hard to assess, (1)

9 years ago | Likes 13 Dislikes 1

but seeing as alkali metals will explode upon contact with water, I'd consider them more dangerous to consume. (2)

9 years ago | Likes 11 Dislikes 0

it's not really the alkali metals but the K and Na. and not explode but the heat ignites the H2 which appears through the reaction and (1)

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

forms an exploding gas-mixture with O2. (2)

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Bronze medal should go to argon, not carbon dioxide (see previous water rant regarding CO2 versus CO₂).

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Fluorine is extremely reactive. If combined with NaCl, it would displace the Cl. Definitely poorly represented as a social pariah.

9 years ago | Likes 11 Dislikes 0

Gold does combine with some elements, Chlorine is one. Oxygen can form a compound with Xenon

9 years ago | Likes 35 Dislikes 1

Well, aqua regia is practically nuking it with oxidants, so it's at least right in spirit... but yeah, chloroaurate ions are a thing

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Also not completely unreactive. Aqua Regia

9 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

Should I not be wearing my 18K gold chain in the pool? Seriously.

9 years ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 0

You should not be wearing a gold chain period.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

maybe he's italian?

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

No, the chlorine can discolor the gold (and platinum too). It can also hurt the finish on gemstones.

9 years ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 0

Hydrogen's is probably the worst. It only takes up so much space because it's the most abundant element, it's also the smallest.

9 years ago | Likes 66 Dislikes 2

If it's H+ it's the smallest, otherwise He would be the smallest. c:

9 years ago | Likes 14 Dislikes 1

True, I should've said lightest.

9 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Yeah, I got what you meant. x) I'm just being pedantic.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Why is He smaller than H? (as elements, i.e. atoms, not molecules) Is it because it's heavier, and so more contracted?

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

You're half right. Stronger +ve charge in the nucleus draws the electron shell in closer. This is a trend across the periodic table.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

H has a smaller nucleus, but a larger radius. This is due to the incomplete orbital of H and ratio of nuclear mass to electrons.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Atomic radii decrease as you move right, and increase as you move down (i.e. adding more shells offsets the increased charge)

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0