Question

What element has symbol B?

Answer 1

Hint: Before solving this question, we should first know what symbols are and then we can understand what each symbol represents. Symbols are representative of various chemicals, elements, and various actions in chemistry. If someone wants to pursue chemistry, They should be familiar with all the symbols.

Complete answer:
Boron is the chemical element and a metalloid that belongs to group 13 of the p block element and it is represented by symbol B. The origin of this word is from the Arabic word Buraq which means borax. It is present in the earth’s crust and also in the solar system but in a low abundance. It is present in the earth over a hundred minerals, it is very complicated to form it even in laboratory conditions.
Properties of Boron:
It is not a good conductor of electricity. It is found in ceramics, flare guns and fibre glasses.
There are various forms of boron. A dark powder and unreactive to oxygen, water, alkalis and acids are amorphous boron. It reacts with metals to form borides.
Electronic configuration of Boron- $[He]2{{s}^{2}}2{{p}^{1}}$
Anomalous properties of boron:
The size of boron is small and d-electrons are not available so it shows different properties than the other elements present in the boron family.
The Covalency of boron cannot be more than 4 as d-orbitals are not present.
Only boron is a metalloid in the group whereas other elements of the group are post transition metals.

Note:
Uses of boron:
The most important compound of boron is sodium tetraborate decahydrate or borax which helps in the insulation of fibreglass and sodium perborate bleach.
The compounds of boron also help in organic synthesis, as a wood preservative and in the manufacture of a particular type of glass.
Production of perborate is done by borax which acts as a bleaching agent for some detergents.
As food preservatives for fish and margarine, boron compounds are used in the house.
Boromycin, a derivative of streptomyces, is used as a natural biotic.