Platinum

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/platinum

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. What is the element symbol?Pt
2. What is the atomic number?78
3. What is platinum and why is it called a noble metal?Platinum is a rare metal with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is called a noble metal because it hardly reacts with other substances, so it doesn’t corrode or tarnish.
4. How does platinum help cars stay clean?Platinum is a key part of catalytic converters in cars. It speeds up chemical reactions that turn harmful gases like carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides into less harmful gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen, helping keep the air cleaner.

Transition Metal: A metal element that has incompletely filled d orbitals, often exhibiting variable oxidation states.
Noble Metal: A metal that is resistant to corrosion and oxidation, often used in jewelry and industry.
Catalyst: A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing permanent change.
Isotopes: Atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons.