Platinum

precious metal · chemistry · rare element

Silverish-white treasure. Platinum is a dense, precious metal that looks like shiny silver and is even rarer than gold. It's one of the most valuable elements in the world.

Bendy and flexible. Unlike many metals that snap when you bend them, platinum is malleable (you can hammer it into shapes) and ductile (you can stretch it into thin wires). This makes it perfect for jewelry and delicate work.

Super unreactive. Platinum almost never reacts with other chemicals, which means it doesn't rust, corrode, or tarnish like other metals do. This is why it lasts forever and stays beautiful.

Named after silver. The word platinum comes from the Spanish word platina, which means 'little silver,' because Spanish explorers first found this mysterious silvery metal and thought it was a type of silver.

Element number 78. Platinum is the 78th element on the periodic table and has the chemical symbol Pt. It sits with other transition metals that have special properties.