Zirconium

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/zirconium

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 Zirconium?1789
2. What is the element symbol?Zr
3. What is the atomic number?40
4. What is zirconium and where does it come from?Zirconium is a shiny, silvery metal that is found in rocks, especially in the mineral zircon.
5. Why is zirconium used in nuclear reactors?Zirconium alloys, like Zircaloy, cover nuclear fuel rods because they let neutrons pass through easily and resist corrosion in hot water.

Transition Metal: A group of metallic elements characterized by having incompletely filled d sub-shells.
Neutron Absorption Cross-Section: A measure of the probability that an atomic nucleus will absorb a neutron.
Passivation: The formation of a protective, non-reactive surface layer on a metal.
Biocompatibility: The ability of a material to perform with an appropriate host response in a specific application.