Contents Introduction Chapter One Chapter Two The History of Titanium Titanium and the Periodic Table Finding Titanium Titanium Compounds Titanium and You Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five The Periodic Table of Elements Glossary For More Information For Further Reading Bibliography Index 4 7 12 19 26 33 40 42 43 45 45 47
Introduction Titanium like all of the elements that make up the universe is created by dying stars When a star dies it grows very large quickly collapses and then explodes into a supernova This explosion is the most powerful force in the universe often causing a burst of light so bright that it briefly outshines the galaxy in which it occurs The explosion sends a cloud of elements speeding out into the universe These elements eventually form planets moons and more stars The titanium released by a supernova can help scientists determine when the supernova occurred For example the supernova that took place closest to Earth happened around the year 1 250 However there are no written records of it occurring despite the fact that it would have been as bright as the moon This has led some scientists to the conclusion that some supernovas do not give off visible light How do scientists know it happened if no one reported seeing it The answer is titanium-44 a radioactive form of titanium It can be found in the expanding cloud caused by a supernova As it decays over time titanium-44 emits gamma rays which can be detected by scientists In 1998 scientists discovered a trail of titanium-44 gamma rays within an immense cloud of hot gas about 700 light-years from Earth This cloud is a remnant of a supernova By measuring the gamma rays created by
Introduction This picture taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2005 shows the Crab Nebula The nebula formed when a star exploded in 1054 It was witnessed in the daytime sky by Chinese and Arab astronomers The Crab Nebula has been expanding ever since titanium-44 scientists were able to estimate the age of the expanding cloud Scientists believe that the supernova occurred roughly 700 years ago From the distant reaches of the universe to the earth beneath our feet titanium is one of the most interesting elements on the periodic table It is a metal lighter and stronger than most others These characteristics
