Calcium (Ca) - Properties, Applications

Jul 11 2013

Topics Covered

Introduction
Chemical Properties
Physical Properties
Mechanical Properties
Thermal Properties
Applications

Introduction

Calcium is the third most abundant metal in the earth’s crust. It is trimorphic in structure and its hardness is greater than that of sodium. It is less chemically reactive than alkaline metals. The atomic number of calcium is 20 and is represented by Ca.

钙的分布很广;这是available in almost all environments across the globe. It is essential for the growth of plants and animals. It is not available alone in nature, it is found in the form of limestone, gypsum and fluorite. It is the most abundant metal present in the human body, being the main constituent of bones and teeth. Aquatic life is affected by the presence of its compound, calcium phosphide.

Chemical Properties

The chemical properties of calcium are provided in the table below:

Chemical Data
CAS number	7440-70-2
Thermal neutron cross section	0.43 barns/atom
Electrode potential	-2.80 V
Ionic radius	0.990 Å
Electro negativity	1
X-ray absorption edge	3.07016 Å
Electrochemical equivalent	0.747 g/A/h

Physical Properties

The following table discusses the physical properties of calcium.

Properties	Metric	Imperial
Density	1.54 g/cm³	0.055 lb/in³
Melting point	837-841 °C	1540-1550 °F
Boiling point	1484°C	2703°F

Mechanical Properties

The mechanical properties of calcium are tabulated below.

Properties	Metric	Imperial
Tensile Strength	110 MPa	16000 psi
Modulus of elasticity	23.4 GPa	3390 ksi
Shear modulus	7.38 GPa	1070 ksi
Hardness, Vickers	17	17
Elongation at Break	7%	7%
Poissons Ratio	0.31	0.31