Want to know it? Who Discovered Cobalt
By: Want To Know It
Cobalt is a hard metal with the chemical symbol Co. But who discovered cobalt? This post will answer that question and also tell you a few interesting facts about cobalt.
Who Discovered Cobalt?
Cobalt has been used for thousands of years to give glass, ceramics and glazes a rich blue color. Cobalt has been found in Egyptian sculptures made around 400 BC. However, people thought it was bismuth (found with cobalt) that gave the blue color. In 1735, a Swedish chemist named Georg Brandt became the first person to successfully isolate cobalt. He determined that it was cobalt that gave the blue color of glass, ceramics and glazes. So, while cobalt has been used for thousands of years, Georg Brandt is credited with the discovery of cobalt as he was the first to successfully isolate the metal.
Interesting Facts About Cobalt
- Cobalt is still used to give deep blue colors to glass, ceramics, paint, ink and varnishes.
- Only one isotope of cobalt (cobalt-59) is stable. The other isotopes are all radioactive.
- Small amounts of cobalt are found in animals, plants, soil and rocks. Mammals (including humans) require a small amount of cobalt.
- Cobalt is a solid at room temperature. It doesn’t melt until it reaches 2723 degrees Fahrenheit (1495 degrees Celsius).
Other Great Discoveries:
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2 Comments for Who Discovered Cobalt
1. hum | December 6th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
where was it found?
2. Want to know it | December 7th, 2010 at 1:41 am
Cobalt was discovered in Stockholm, Sweden
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