Barium (Ba) Fun Facts
"The X-ray Visionary, a heavy hero who allows doctors to see inside the human body."
The true essence of Barium (Ba) on the molecular frontier.
Barium is a soft, silvery-white, reactive metal.
Barium is found in the contrast agent a patient drinks for a medical CT scan.
Barium is used to create the green color in many sci-fi laser blasts.
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Did You Know?
The compound barium sulfate is completely insoluble in water, making it non-toxic. It is also opaque to X-rays, so patients drink a 'barium meal' or 'barium milkshake' to provide a clear X-ray image of their digestive tract.
Barium compounds are used to produce a brilliant pale green color in fireworks.
All water- or acid-soluble barium compounds are extremely poisonous.
The element's name comes from the Greek word 'barys', which means 'heavy', because its compounds were known for their high density.
It is used as a 'getter' in vacuum tubes to remove the last traces of oxygen and other gases.