26
Iron
Atomic Number26
Atomic Mass55.845 u
CategoryTransition Metal
State at Room TempSolid
Year DiscoveredAncient
About Iron
The most used metal on Earth and the core material of civilization. Makes up 35% of Earths total mass, concentrated in the core. Iron in hemoglobin carries oxygen in the blood. Steel is iron with small amounts of carbon. The Iron Age began around 1200 BC. Iron meteorites were the first source of usable metal for early humans. Rust costs the global economy an estimated 300 billion dollars per year.
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