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Which metal has the highest density?

Answer
VerifiedVerified
501k+ views
Hint: To understand this question first we have to understand what density is. Density is a measure of mass per unit of volume. Density is a measure of mass per volume. An object made from a comparatively dense material will have less volume than an object of equal mass made from some less dense substance.

Complete answer:
Density is a measure of how compact the mass in a substance or object is. Density is a measure of mass per unit of volume. In general, gases have the lowest densities, but these densities are highly dependent on the pressure and temperature which must always be specified.
$ \Rightarrow \rho = \dfrac{m}{V}$
Where, $\rho = $Density
$ \Rightarrow m = $Mass
$ \Rightarrow V = volume$
Osmium is a chemical element with the symbol $Os$ and atomic number $76$ has the highest density i.e. $22.59\dfrac{g}{{c{m^3}}}$. It is a hard, brittle, bluish-white transition metal in the platinum group that is found as a trace element in alloys, mostly in platinum ores. Manufacturers mainly use Osmium alloys with platinum, iridium, and other platinum-group metals to make various products such as fountain pen nib tipping, electrical contacts.

Note:
Osmium has only a few uses. It is used to produce very hard alloys for fountain pen tips, instrument pivots, needles and electrical contacts. It is also used in the chemical industry as a catalyst. Metallic osmium is harmless but finely divided metallic osmium is pyrophoric and reacts with oxygen at room temperature, forming volatile osmium tetroxide. Some osmium compounds are also converted to tetroxide if oxygen is present.