Hafnium

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/hafnium

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Who discovered Hafnium?1922 by Dirk Coster and George de Hevesy
2. What is the element category?Transition metal
3. What is the atomic number?72
4. Why is hafnium important for nuclear reactors?Hafnium can absorb neutrons very well, so it is used in control rods to keep the chain reaction in a reactor safe and steady.
5. How do scientists separate hafnium from zirconium?Because hafnium and zirconium look and behave almost the same, scientists use special chemical methods like solvent extraction or ion‑exchange to separate them.

Tetravalent: An atom or ion that has a valency of four, meaning it can form four chemical bonds.
Lanthanide Contraction: The gradual decrease in atomic and ionic radii of elements in the lanthanide series, affecting subsequent elements.
High-k Dielectric: A material with a high dielectric constant used in capacitors and transistors to increase capacitance or reduce leakage.
Nuclear Isomer: A nuclide that has the same number of protons and neutrons as another nuclide but exists in a higher energy state.