Gallium (Noun)
Meaning
A rare silvery (usually trivalent) metallic element; brittle at low temperatures but liquid above room temperature; occurs in trace amounts in bauxite and zinc ores.
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- Gallium is used in thermometers that operate over a wide range of temperatures.
- The scientist handling the gallium struggled to measure its properties due to its unusual liquid state at room temperature.
- Bauxite ore was processed to extract aluminum, but it also contained small amounts of gallium.
- The rare element gallium was first discovered in 1875 by French chemist Paul-Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran.
- Gallium's unique properties make it useful in the production of semiconductors and other electronic components.