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What the name
means: The name bismuth is a Latin
translation of the German word wismuth.
Wismuth probably comes from the German
words wies, meaning “field” and
muster meaning “place”. Another
possible origin is from the German
weisse masse, meaning “white mass”.
Who identified
bismuth? Bismuth was mentioned in
documents dating from 1450 when Basileus
Valentinus referred to it as wismut.
In 1546, the alchemist Georgius Agricola
referred to it as wissmuth. The
identification of bismuth as a new element
is attributed to Claud-François Geoffroy
who, in 1753, distinguished it from the
element lead.
In the 15th century the
alchemists believed that bismuth
transformed into silver since miners always
found it in a layer above silver deposits.
About bismuth:
Bismuth is a white, slightly pink,
brittle element. It can be found in the
Earth’s crust as the metal and in certain
ores, such as bismite. Bismuth is used in
alloys to enhance the properties of other
metals. |
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