The Science Quiz | The quiet awesomeness of tungsten Premium

The Science Quiz | The quiet awesomeness of tungsten

Questions:

1. Scheelite and X are two important mineral sources of tungsten. Tungsten’s letter in the periodic table comes from X. In turn, X may have got its name because its extraction requires a large amount of tin – supposedly akin to a certain animal consuming a sheep. Name X.

2. Among all elements, tungsten has the highest _______ _____, around 3,700 kelvin – a value higher than those of tantalum and platinum. This property rendered tungsten the most suitable element to use in the incandescent light bulb. Fill in the blanks.

3. Tungsten is the element with the highest ______ ______ to be found naturally in some living beings. It is found in some archaea and bacteria. In more complex organisms, it is mildly toxic. Fill in the blanks.

4. During World War II, this country operated a large tungsten mine and came under pressure from both Allied and Axis powers to supply the metal to them, for use in arms and ammunition manufacturing. At first it said it would supply to both, but after multiple attacks from Germany and diplomatic pressure from the U.S., it imposed a moratorium on all exports of the metal. Name the country.

5. Because tungsten and another metal, Y, have almost the same density, tungsten has been used to make counterfeit bars of Y, which are otherwise very valuable. Name Y.

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