Which Elements Are Solids at Room Temperature?
Elements that are solids at room temperature include sodium, antimony, gold, silver and platinum. Other such elements are arsenic, calcium, carbon, boron and tungsten. Iron, lead, palladium and tin are also solid at room temperature.
Antimony is a heavy but soft silver-white metalloid. Its chemical symbol is Sb for stibium, as it is extracted from stibnite. It’s been used since antiquity for cosmetics and is now used for bullets, lead-acid batteries and solders.
Tungsten is famous for its high melting point. This makes it excellent for use as filaments in incandescent light bulbs. It’s also one of the few heavy elements that is present in the bodies of living things. It’s found in some types of bacteria and other primitive life forms.
Sodium is considered an alkali metal and is crucial to the health of humans and other animals. It’s silvery-white and, as is the case with many elements, was first isolated by Sir Humphry Davy. Though sodium creates ordinary table salt when combined with chlorine, it explodes when it is mixed with water.
Calcium is necessary for health, especially of the bones and teeth. It’s harder than sodium and is often covered with a skin of oxide that protects it.
