Lead

heavy metal · chemistry · ancient history

Super Heavy Metal. Lead is one of the densest metals we use, making it much heavier than iron or copper even in small amounts. A chunk of lead the size of your fist would weigh about as much as a large textbook.

Shiny Then Dull. When lead is freshly cut or melted, it gleams with a beautiful silvery shine with a hint of blue. But once it touches air, it quickly turns into a boring dull gray color because it reacts with oxygen.

The Heaviest Stable One. Lead holds a special record: it has the highest atomic number of any element that doesn't radioactively fall apart over time. That means it's the heaviest metal that stays stable forever.

Soft and Bendy. Unlike hard metals like steel, lead is soft enough that you can scratch it with a fingernail and even bend it with your hands. This softness made it perfect for ancient plumbers to shape into pipes.

Radioactive Cousins. Lead itself is safe and stable, but three of its heavier cousins are the final step in radioactive decay chains from uranium and thorium deep in the earth.