We all love metals. Cars, bicycles, kitchen appliances, drink cans and many other things are all made of metal. Metal is the cornerstone of our lives. But sometimes it can be very heavy.
When we talk about the weight of a particular metal, we usually mean its density, that is, the ratio of mass to the volume it occupies.
Another way to measure the "weight" of metals is their relative atomic mass. The heaviest metals by relative atomic mass are plutonium and uranium.
If you want to know, what metal is the heaviest, if we consider its density, then we are happy to help you. Here are the top 10 heaviest metals on Earth, with their density per cubic cm.
10. Tantalum - 16.67 g/cm³
Tenth place in the ranking is occupied by a bluish-gray, very hard metal with an extremely high melting point. Despite its hardness, it is as plastic as gold.
Tantalum is an important component in many modern technologies. In particular, it is used to produce capacitors, which are used in computer equipment and mobile phones.
9. Uranium - 19.05 g/cm³
It is the heaviest element on Earth, given its atomic mass of 238.0289 g/mol. In its pure form, uranium is a silvery-brown heavy metal that is almost twice as dense as lead.
Like plutonium, uranium is a necessary component for creating nuclear weapons.
8. Tungsten - 19.29 g/cm³
It is considered one of the densest elements in the world. In addition to its exceptional properties (high thermal and electrical conductivity, very high resistance to acids and abrasion), tungsten also has three unique properties:
- After carbon, it has the highest melting point - plus 3422 ° C. And its boiling point is plus 5555 ° C, this temperature is approximately comparable to the temperature of the surface of the Sun.
- Accompanies tin ores, but prevents the smelting of tin, converting it into slag foam. For this reason it received its name, which in translation from German means "wolf cream".
- Tungsten has the lowest coefficient of linear expansion when heated of all metals.
7. Gold - 19.29 g/cm³
Since ancient times, people have been buying, selling and even killing for this precious metal. Not only people, but entire countries are engaged in buying up gold. The leader of countries with the largest gold reserves at the moment is America. And it is unlikely that there will come a time when there will be no need for gold.
They say that money doesn't grow on trees, but gold does! A small amount of gold can be found in the leaves of eucalyptus trees if they are growing on gold-bearing soil.
6. Plutonium - 19.80 g/cm³
The sixth heaviest metal in the world is one of the most needed components for the world's nuclear powers. It is also a true chameleon of the elements. Plutonium exhibits a colorful oxidation state in aqueous solutions, with their colors ranging from light purple and chocolate to light orange and green. 
The color depends on the degree of oxidation of plutonium and acid salts.
5. Neptunium - 20.47 g/cm³
Named after the planet Neptune, this silvery metal was discovered by chemist Edwin McMillan and geochemist Philip Abelson in 1940. It is used to make number six on our list, plutonium.
4. Rhenium - 21.01 g/cm³
The word "Rhenium" comes from the Latin Rhenus, which means "Rhine". It is not difficult to guess that this metal was discovered in Germany. The honor of its discovery belongs to the German chemists Ida and Walter Noddack. It is the last of the discovered elements that has a stable isotope.
Due to its very high melting point, rhenium (in the form of alloys with molybdenum, tungsten and other metals) is used to create components for rocket technology and aviation.
3. Platinum - 21.40 g/cm³
One of the most precious metals on this list (except for Osmium and Californium-252) is used in a variety of fields, from jewelry to the chemical industry and space technology. In Russia, the leader in platinum metal mining is Norilsk Nickel. The country mines about 25 tons of platinum per year.
2. Osmium - 22.61 g/cm³
The brittle yet extremely hard metal is rarely used in its pure form. It is mostly mixed with other dense metals, such as platinum, to create highly complex and expensive surgical equipment.
The name "osmium" comes from the ancient Greek word for "smell". When the alkaline alloy osmiridium dissolves in liquid, a sharp odor appears, similar to the smell of chlorine or rotten radish.
Both osmium and iridium (ranked first) weigh approximately twice as much as lead (11.34 g/cm³).
1. Iridium - 22.65 g/cm³ - the heaviest metal
This metal can rightfully claim to be the element with the highest density. However, there are still disputes about which metal is heavier - iridium or osmium. The point is that any impurity can reduce the density of these metals, and obtaining them in pure form is a very difficult task.
The theoretical calculated density of iridium is 22.65 g/cm³. It is almost three times heavier than iron (7.8 g/cm³). And almost twice as heavy as the heaviest liquid metal - mercury (13.6 g/cm³).
Like osmium, iridium was discovered by the English chemist Smithson Tennant in the early 19th century. Interestingly, Tennant did not discover iridium on purpose, but by accident. It was found in an impurity left after dissolving platinum.
Iridium is primarily used as a hardener for platinum alloys for equipment that must withstand high temperatures. It is processed from platinum ore and is a by-product of nickel mining.
The name "iridium" is translated from ancient Greek as "rainbow". This is explained by the presence of salts of various colors in the metal.
The heaviest metal in the periodic table is very rare in terrestrial substances. Therefore, its high concentration in rock samples is a marker of their meteorite origin. About 10 thousand kilograms of iridium are mined worldwide per year. Its largest supplier is South Africa.
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