Rubidium

Rubidium is a soft, silvery-white metallic element that belongs to the alkali metal group. It has the atomic number 37 and the symbol Rb. Rubidium is highly reactive and easily oxidizes in air, making it a rare element in the Earth's crust. It is found in small quantities in minerals such as lepidolite, pollucite, and carnallite. Rubidium has a number of unique properties that make it useful in a variety of applications. It is highly conductive and has a low melting point, which makes it useful in the production of vacuum tubes and photocells. It is also used in atomic clocks and as a catalyst in organic chemistry.

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Rubidium has a number of isotopes, but only one of them, rubidium-87, is stable. This isotope is used extensively in geology and archaeology to determine the age of rocks and fossils through a process called radiometric dating. Rubidium is also used in medical research to study the brain and in the treatment of certain neurological disorders. Despite its many applications, rubidium is a relatively rare element and is not widely available.