Let’s add beryllium powder

‘Beryllium’ page from Theodore Gray’s book, The Elements

Initial condition

• H₂(g): 0.70 mol
• He(g): 1.00 mol
• Li(s): 0.40 mol (still solid: it melts at 180.5 degrees)
• LiH(s): 0.60 mol
• Pressure = 525.5 kPa
• Temperature = 99°C

No reactions!

Beryllium doesn’t react with any of the things in the vessel: H₂(g), He(g), Li(s) or LiH(s). My one mole of beryllium powder (which would cost me over $70) would just sit at the bottom of the vessel doing nothing.

With not much else to write about in the Periodic Table Smoothie this week, it might be a good idea to calculate how much this Periodic Table Smoothie would have cost in real life.

Element	Cost per kg[1]	Molar mass	Cost per mole
H2	$              4.00	2	$       0.008
He	$            52.00	4	$       0.21
Li	$          270.00	6.941	$       1.87
Be	$      7,840.00	9.01	$    70.64
B (next week)	$    11,140.00	10.811	$  120.43

TOTAL cost of 1.00 mol of each of the first five elements

$        193.16

Conclusion

The addition of beryllium was highly uneventful. The vessel still contains the following:

• H₂(g): 0.70 mol
• He(g): 1.00 mol
• Li(s): 0.40 mol (still solid: it melts at 180.5 degrees)
• LiH(s): 0.60 mol
• Pressure = 525.5 kPa
• Temperature = 99°C

We’ll add boron next week and see what happens.

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