Know the Equivalent Mass of Metal

The use of metal in the world is a major factor. There are many different types of metals that are used by people every day and they have numerous functions. One way to figure out which type of metal you may need is to know the equivalent mass for the various types and their uses for various purposes. Every day, some parts of your life require dealing with metals or products containing metals from cell phones to coins. 

What are Metals?

Metals are substances that have good electric conductivity and they are malleable and ductile. Metals are a group of elements that are typically shiny, which is what makes them so desirable. There are approximately 4000 different types of metals found worldwide but only about 100 of them can be used for daily use.

Popular Uses of Mass of Metal

Metal can be used in various other ways and it is used in a variety of products including coins, automobiles, buildings, appliances and much more. Some metals are also used to make specialized tools such as vacuum cleaner parts or even aluminum stockings. Bronze is an example of a metal that was produced during the Bronze Age; it was used during the ancient time period to make objects such as cups and statues.

What is Mass of Metal?

Metal and its properties are derived from the periodic table. Mass is the measurement of how much matter is present in a substance. In chemistry, it’s a formula used to calculate the amount of atoms or molecules in a substance. Like all matter, metal has mass which means that it takes up space when it occupies an area and because of this fact, it can be weighed through specific methods. When measuring metals such as aluminum or iron, scientists have found that the number of protons can also be used as an accurate method for determining its weight and this technique is known as Atomic Mass.

Equivalent Mass of Metal

Knowledge of the equivalent mass of all metals is important because each metal, being different, has a different atomic weight. Knowing this information for every metal in the periodic table will help you to identify metals and also distinguish them from each other. The equivalent mass of a metal that you are dealing with will tell you how much matter it contains and how much energy it contains. In terms of science, you want to know when doing scientific research about metals for example, it will help you to know how much energy or matter exists in a particular amount of a substance like water or oxygen.

Examples of Equivalent Mass of Metal

To help you to understand how equivalent mass is calculated, look at the table below and then we will show examples.

Blacksmiths and Firefighters

Aluminum is used in many products and was used in an oxygen generator that was manufactured by firefighters. Firefighters worked on the generator which required them to lift it with heavy forklifts and then they carried the forklifts over to a parking lot. In this situation, the aluminum that they were taking was equivalent to a mass of  more than 1,000 pounds. 

Metal Smelting

The metal that is being produced when metals are melted into a liquid are called ores. The process of melting ores into a liquid form is called smelting . Iron, copper, lead and zinc are all common ores that are smelted. When they are being melted, they contain the equivalent mass of more than 2,000 pounds. After being smelted into a liquid form, the metal is called slag . While slag has a specific weight because it is an example of a metal but when it is used for new mining projects for example, it can weigh between 20-30 tons.

Scientists

After being melted into a liquid form, the metals are poured into molds in order to make them into a solid. Scientists do this through an alloy called brass. While there are approximately 200 alloys of metals, only four of them, called bronze, brass, copper and steel have an equivalent mass that is more than 2,000 pounds. These four metals are used for different reasons but one is brass because it’s very durable and it can handle corrosion very well. If scientists are trying to study the properties of newly discovered metal compounds they will need to know its equivalent mass so they can easily measure amounts that they want to use in experiments.

Significance of Equivalent Mass of Metal

Equivalent mass is important in measuring and dealing with all matter including the chemical elements that are used to create a substance like coal or a computer chip. Some of these chemical elements are used to make compounds and compounds are used in products like paint, plastic, and drugs. All of these compounds have a chemical composition that needs to be measured accurately. In comparing apples to apples, the equivalent mass should always be the same or they can’t be properly compared because they will not be as accurate.

Conclusion

Finding out the equivalent mass of all metals is very important to scientists and researchers because they need to know how much energy or matter there is in each metal. The more accurate you are, the more results you will get from your experiments. If you’re trying to do experiments that don’t require perfect accuracy, then, if it’s easier, then you can use a scale or measure the mass of a metal on a periodic table.