2. History…
• Calcium comes from
the latin word “calcis”
which means lime.
• Calcium has been used
by humans since before
the ancient Egyptians.
• But it was Sir
Humphrey Davy in
1808 that discovered it
among the periodic
table.
3. Properties
• At room tempurature Calcium is a whitish
silvery solid.
• The melting point is 839 oC
• It will boil at 1484 oC
• Calcium has a density of 1.55 g/cm3
• Calcium is an alkaline earth metal
• Has an atomic weight of 40.078
4. Did you know?
• Due to Calcium’s abundance and high melting
point, it is used to make cement, bricks, glass,
and other building materials.
• It is also essential to plant and animal health. It
is used in the formation of skeletons, and is a
key nutrient in muscle function.
• In skeletal systems it forms calcium phosphate
• Calcium carbonate makes up the majority of egg
shells and mollusk shells
• But! Vitamin D is needed to absorb calcium in
living organisms
5. Where Can I Get Some?
• Calcium is not found by itself in nature.
• It can be found as metal compounds and must
be isolated through a process known as
electrolysis.
• The street value of Calcium is unknown, but the
commercial value is about $0.11/gram.
• But you can pick some up at your local health
food store as a calcium carbonate supplement.
• Or just consume dairy products.
6. What is Calcium used for?
• By itself Calcium is very reactive with
water and acids.
• Calcium is used as a reducing agent.
• It can also be used to remove impurities
from metal alloys.
