• Next (in period)

• Previous (in period)

• Periodic Table

Tutorials

• Atomic Structure

• Electrovalent Bonding

• Covalent Bonding

• Water

• Transition Metals

• Metal or Non-metal?

• Noble Gases

General

• Element Identification Timeline

What the name means: The name rhodium comes from the Greek word rhodon, meaning rose

Who identified rhodium? Rhodium was identified by a British chemist, William Hyde Wollaston, in 1803. He analysed a platinum ore from South America. After he had extracted the platinum and palladium present in the ore, he was left with a dark red powdery residue. This was a salt containing the new element. It was the colour of the salt that gave the new element its name.

About rhodium: Rhodium is the rarest (non-radioactive) metal in the Earth’s crust which makes it the most precious of the precious metals. Only 18 tonnes of rhodium are produced in one year. It is six times as expensive as gold! For this reason it is sometimes used to plate medals and awards.

It is a white, silvery, shiny metal that can be added to platinum and palladium to increase hardness.