I for iron

This is the ninth in the series of 26 posts this month, one post a day, barring four Sundays, each on a theme corresponding to a letter of the English alphabet. My theme this year is "Chemicals in our life", spurred by my interest in chemistry.

It is one of the most abundant elements in the universe, and it makes up most of the Earth's core and crust. 

Iron has the symbol Fe (Ferrum in Latin) and the atomic number 26. Iron has a high melting point of 1,538°C (2,800.4°F) and a boiling point of 2,862°C (5,181.8°F). 

Iron is a lustrous, silvery-grey metal that is magnetic. 

In its pure form, iron is actually soft and ductile.

Most of the iron we see is hard because it's alloyed or mixed with other metals.

Some common iron alloys are steel (iron with carbon), stainless steel (iron with chromium and nickel), cast iron (iron with carbon and silicon), and wrought iron (iron with very low carbon).

Needless to say, iron is widely used as a material for tools, weapons, machines, buildings, bridges, railways, cars, ships, and many other applications. 

Iron is important for our health. It's a component of haemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in red blood cells. Iron deficiency can cause anaemia, a condition that reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. 

Iron is also involved in many metabolic processes and enzyme reactions in the body. 

It is often alloyed with other metals to improve its strength, hardness, corrosion resistance, or magnetic properties. 

Image from Pixabay

The information provided in this post has been obtained from multiple, authentic resources. However, it is presented in an abridged format and might not have all the details. Therefore, before acting on any information, readers are requested to exercise caution and do further research.

This post is a part of #BlogchatterA2Z 2023. I am also on A2Z April Challenge.