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What the name
means: The word iron probably comes
from the Anglo-Saxon word iren. Its
chemical symbol is Fe, derived from the
Latin word ferrum.
Who identified
iron? There is some evidence that
iron was being used around 4000 BC. This
means that the ancients were capable of
extracting iron from its ores and crafting
the metal into weapons and utensils. The
European Iron Age began around 600 BC. The
Chinese probably began steel making around
2500 BC!
About iron:
Iron is mostly found as metal oxides
in the ores hematite (Fe2O3)
and magnetite (Fe3O4).
When roasted with carbon at a high
temperature, molten iron is produced.
Adding small amounts of carbon to the
molten iron will produce steel. Adding
small amounts of chromium to the steel will
produce stainless steel. Iron is one of the
three elements that are magnetic (the
others are nickel and cobalt). It is the
presence of large amounts of iron and
nickel in the Earth’s core (its interior)
that cause the Earth to have a magnetic
field.
Iron will rust when in
contact with the air (oxygen and water
vapour) over a short period of time.
Iron is an essential
element for all living things. In humans it
is needed to make the chemical called
haemoglobin that is found in the red blood
cells that carry oxygen around the body.
Humans need to take in around 10mg of iron
each day to remain healthy. |
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