Understanding the Elements of the Periodic Table

Beryllium is a gray, brittle metal. The difficulty and expense of extracting Be from rocks are the main reasons for its obscurity. Prized for its light weight, durability, strength, and heat capacity, Beryllium is alloyed with other metals for use in jets, gyroscopes, jewelry, cameras, cell phones, golf clubs, watches, space telescopes, X-ray systems, trumpets and flutes, and nuclear reactors. An experiment simulating radioactive decay is included.