Element Facts Fluorine

Flourine (F) has a special place in science because it is the most reactive of all the elements, and participates in almost all inorganic and organic chemical reactions. The reactions exclude oxygen, neon, krypton and helium.

Its name has originated from the French word “fluere,” meaning to flow, because it allowed metals "to flow." This deadly element was discovered and isolated by a French chemist, Henri Moissan, in 1886, for which he received the 1906 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Chemical properties of Fluorine

Fluorine has an atomic number of 9, an atomic weight of 18.998403, a specific gravity of 1.108, a boiling point of -188.14°C, and a melting point of -219.62°C. When it combines with water, metals, carbon and other substances, it burns and fluoresces.  It is extremely flammable and highly corrosive. With water, it produces hydrofluoric acid, one of the highly corrosive products of fluorine.

Physical characteristics

Fluorine is the lightest among the halogens, which include chlorine, iodine and bromine, to name some. It has a characteristic pungent odor, and is pale yellow in color. Previously, it could not be isolated from any of its compounds, but Moissan did this through “electrolysis of dry potassium hydrogen fluoride and anhydrous hydrofluoric acid.”

Sources

Fluorine is a halogen and is widely distributed in combination with other substances, such as in fluorspar (CaF) and cryolite (Na2AF6). It could be isolated using electrolysis with a “solution of potassium hydrogen fluoride in anhydrous hydrogen fluoride.”

Uses

Although it is a dangerous element by itself, fluorine, in combination with other substances, has its own usefulness in the field of science. Fluorine, in the forms of sodium fluoride and sodium monofluorophosphate, is added to toothpaste and drinking water to help in the prevention of tooth decay. Calcium fluoride crystals are used in the construction of infrared lenses and other bulbs. In the form of uranium hexafluoride, fluorine also plays a major role in processing nuclear fuel.

It is used too in the manufacture of high-temperature plastics, such as Teflon.  It has been originally used as a refrigerant in air-conditioning units in the form of chlorofluorocarbons, but these products were banned because of their dangerous depletion of the ozone layer, which protects the Earth from the deadly rays of the sun.

Fluorine, just like any substance here on Earth, has its own advantages and disadvantages. It is up to man to use it to his own advantage and progress. After all, science is there to develop the world into something progressive but safe for the human race.

An Explanation of Diffusion

Diffusion is defined by Hyperphysics as the process by which molecules intermingle with each other randomly as a result of their kinetic energy.

In layman’s terms, it is the movement of particles in solution from a higher concentration to a lower concentration. There are two common types of diffusion: the facilitated and the passive. Facilitated diffusion

This process requires the presence of energy for its occurrence. A good example is the application of heat to increase the movement of the particles in solution so they can move faster.

An example also is when molecules move through cells in the body with the use of transport proteins. This is how essential nutrients are usually transported to different cells and tissues in the body. Passive or simple diffusion

This process does not need applied energy to occur. An example is when water and its particles, from higher areas, diffuse into low lying areas until equilibrium is reached. The water seeks its own level. This is a simple but clear example of diffusion.

The spread of a teaspoon of coffee in water demonstrates also passive or simple diffusion. The granules diffuse into the areas where it is less concentrated, thereby allowing the coffee granules to spread and make the solution homogeneous.

Stirring the coffee and using warm water would make it facilitated diffusion, wherein the coffee spreads until equilibrium is achieved. Diffusion in the human body

There is also a process called net diffusion in cells, in which particles or substances in solution pass through pores or tissue walls from a higher concentration gradient to a lower concentration gradient.

As mentioned in facilitated diffusion, the human body uses this method to bring food and vital substances to cells and tissues.

Respiration is one good example of diffusion, as well. Carbon dioxide comes out when we exhale, instead of oxygen, because the concentration of carbon dioxide outside of the body is lower.

On the other hand, oxygen enters the lungs because it diffuses into the area where it is less concentrated.

Diffusion in plants Diffusion also occurs in plants in the same manner that it occurs in animals. This movement is from a higher concentration gradient to a lower one, too.

This is how essential nutrients for plants, such as carbon dioxide, are transported from the stomata to the cells. Diffusion, specifically termed transpiration, is the manner by which oxygen is excreted by plants.

Hence, diffusion is a vital process that occurs in vivo (inside the body) and in vitro (outside the body) that is significant for the existence of man.