Element 41 in our International Year of the Periodic Table series is niobium. A hypoallergenic metal, it’s found in superconducting magnets in particle accelerators, as well as in the glasses many of us wear to correct our vision.
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Element 40 in our International Year of the Periodic Table series is zirconium. Its compounds are commonly used in jewellery to simulate diamonds, and in ceramic knives. It also finds use in nuclear power stations.
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Element 39 in our International Year of the Periodic Table series is yttrium. One of a number of elements discovered in the mines at Ytterby, Sweden, yttrium is found in camera lenses, some mock gemstones, and white LEDs.
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Element 38 in our International Year of the Periodic Table series is strontium. Named after Strontian, a village in Scotland where it was discovered, strontium finds use in glow-in-the-dark paints and in toothpastes.
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Element 37 in our International Year of the Periodic Table series is rubidium. Used in GPS satellites and in some types of perovskite solar cells, one of its isotopes can also be used to locate and image brain tumours.
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Element 36 in our International Year of the Periodic Table series is krypton. Used in high-speed flash photography, krypton also has a link to the definition of the metre and can help detect covert nuclear facilities.
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