Duncan Rouleau (w & a)
Metal Men are the their elements personified!
Look at previous posts about the Metal Men to see how this can be. This article is focusing on just Iron and Mercury.
Real world characteristics:
Fe comes from the Latin word for iron, ferrium. Iron is the 4th most abundant element and if the core of the Earth is taken into consideration it is the most abundant; since Earth’s core is a molten sphere of iron that spins giving Earth its magnetic field. Iron is used in a plethora of applications, most of all steel. Iron readily forms alloys with various other elements, which will give it different properties, making it useful in a variety of applications. Possibly the most useful application of iron to us is in our blood. The iron in hemoglobin helps carry oxygen throughout our bodies making it possible for us to exist.
http://www.periodicvideos.com/videos/026.htm
Comic characteristics:
Iron was mostly used as muscle. He has some personality but mostly he’s the heavy hitter. This makes sense considering steel is a very strong compound and used in so many ways to add strength to structures.
Real world characteristics:
Ahhh… Hydrargyrum in Latin and also known as quicksilver. This element holds a special place in my life as I did research in graduate school in mercury remediation. Mercury is one of the more interesting elements on the periodic table. It is the only liquid metal, one of only two liquid elements at room temperature. Even though it is very cool to watch it move around almost effortlessly across surfaces, it is very toxic. It was used in electrical switches and it is currently used in compact fluorescent lights (CFL’s). This shiny element is also the cause of Mad Hatter’s as the hat industry would rub mercury on the fur to make it more lustrous. The mercury would be slowly absorbed into the body, eventually effecting the nervous system causing them to go mad.
http://www.periodicvideos.com/videos/080.htm
Comic characteristics:
Mercury did move more “fluidly” that the other metal men, considering he was repeatedly posed while bending. Given mercury is such a unique element; he did behave uniquely compared to the other Metal Men. However, his snarky-ness gives an heir of rigidity, which is not a room temperature property of mercury. Also, the snarky-ness could come from the fact that he is the only liquid metal. Mercury should be consulted on this one.
References:
1.) Nature's Building Blocks by John Emsley published by Oxford University Press in 2001 (GREAT BOOK!)
2.) And the every funny and informative periodic videos linked above from http://www.periodicvideos.com/index.htm
Thank all of you for reading! :)
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