This basic list of ten elements is the "heaviest" in terms of density per cubic centimeter. However, note that density is not mass, it simply indicates how tightly packed the mass of a body is.

Now that we understand this, let's take a look at the heaviest in the entire universe known to mankind.

10. Tantalum

Density per 1 cm³ - 16.67 g

Tantalum has an atomic number of 73. This blue-gray metal is very hard and also has a super high melting point.

9. Uranium (Uranium)


Density per 1 cm³ - 19.05 g

Discovered in 1789 by the German chemist Martin H. Klaprot, the metal did not become true uranium until almost a hundred years later, in 1841, thanks to the French chemist Eugène Melchior Peligot.

8. Wolframium


Density per 1 cm³ - 19.26 g

Tungsten exists in four different minerals and is also the heaviest of all the elements that play an important biological role.

7. Gold (Aurum)


Density per 1 cm³ - 19.29 g

They say money doesn't grow on trees, which can't be said about gold! Small traces of gold have been found on the leaves of eucalyptus trees.

6. Plutonium (Plutonium)


Density per 1 cm³ - 20.26 g

Plutonium exhibits a colorful oxidation state in aqueous solution, and can also spontaneously change oxidation states and colors! This is a real chameleon among the elements.

5. Neptunium

Density per 1 cm³ - 20.47 g

Named after the planet Neptune, it was discovered by Professor Edwin McMillan in 1940. It also became the first discovered synthetic transuranium element from the actinide family.

4. Rhenium

Density per 1 cm³ - 21.01 g

The name of this chemical element comes from the Latin word "Rhenus", which means "Rhine". It was discovered by Walter Noddack in Germany in 1925.

3. Platinum (Platinum)

Density per 1 cm³ - 21.45 g

One of the most precious metals on this list (along with gold), and is used to make just about everything. As a strange fact: all the mined platinum (down to the last particle) could fit in a medium-sized living room! Not much, really. (Try putting all the gold in it.)

2. Iridium (Iridium)


Density per 1 cm³ - 22.56 g

Iridium was discovered in London in 1803 by the English chemist Smithson Tennant (Smithson Tennant) along with osmium: the elements were present in natural platinum as impurities. Yes, iridium was discovered purely by accident.

1. Osmium


Density per 1 cm³ - 22.59 g

There is nothing heavier (per cubic centimeter) than osmium. The name of this element comes from the ancient Greek word "osme", which means "smell", since the chemical reactions of its dissolution in acid or water are accompanied by an unpleasant, persistent odor.

Osmium is currently defined as the heaviest substance on the planet. Just one cubic centimeter of this substance weighs 22.6 grams. It was discovered in 1804 by the English chemist Smithson Tennant, when gold was dissolved in the After, a precipitate remained in the test tube. This happened due to the peculiarity of osmium, it is insoluble in alkalis and acids.

The heaviest element on the planet

It is a bluish-white metallic powder. It occurs naturally as seven isotopes, six of which are stable and one is unstable. The density is slightly superior to iridium, which has a density of 22.4 grams per cubic centimeter. Of the materials discovered to date, the heaviest substance in the world is osmium.

It belongs to a group such as lanthanum, yttrium, scandium and other lanthanides.

More expensive than gold and diamonds

It is mined very little, about ten thousand kilograms per year. Even the largest source of osmium, the Dzhezkazgan deposit, contains about three ten-millionths. The exchange value of a rare metal in the world reaches about 200 thousand dollars per gram. At the same time, the maximum purity of the element during the cleaning process is about seventy percent.

Although Russian laboratories managed to obtain a purity of 90.4 percent, the amount of metal did not exceed a few milligrams.

The Density of Matter Beyond Planet Earth

Osmium is undoubtedly the leader of the heaviest elements on our planet. But if we turn our gaze into space, then a lot of substances heavier than our “king” of heavy elements will open to our attention.

The fact is that in the Universe there are conditions somewhat different than on Earth. The gravitation of the series is so great that the matter is incredibly compacted.

If we consider the structure of the atom, it will be found that the distances in the interatomic world are somewhat reminiscent of the cosmos we see. Where planets, stars and others are at a sufficiently large distance. The rest is occupied by emptiness. It is this structure that atoms have, and with strong gravity, this distance decreases quite a lot. Up to the “pressing” of some elementary particles into others.

Neutron stars - superdense objects of space

By searching beyond our Earth, we may be able to detect the heaviest matter in space in neutron stars.

These are quite unique space inhabitants, one of the possible types of stellar evolution. The diameter of such objects is from 10 to 200 kilometers, with a mass equal to our Sun or 2-3 times more.

This cosmic body mainly consists of a neutron core, which consists of fluid neutrons. Although according to some assumptions of scientists, it should be in a solid state, reliable information does not exist today. However, it is known that neutron stars, reaching their compression redistribution, subsequently turn into with a colossal energy release, of the order of 10 43 -10 45 joules.

The density of such a star is comparable, for example, to the weight of Mount Everest, placed in a matchbox. These are hundreds of billions of tons in one cubic millimeter. For example, to make it more clear how high the density of matter is, let's take our planet with its mass of 5.9 × 1024 kg and “turn” it into a neutron star.

As a result, in order to equal the density of a neutron star, it must be reduced to the size of an ordinary apple, with a diameter of 7-10 centimeters. The density of unique stellar objects increases as you move towards the center.

Layers and density of matter

The outer layer of a star is represented by a magnetosphere. Directly below it, the density of matter already reaches the order of one ton per cubic centimeter. Given our knowledge of the Earth, it is currently the heaviest substance ever found. But don't jump to conclusions.

Let's continue our research of unique stars. They are also called pulsars, because of the high speed of rotation around their axis. This indicator for various objects ranges from several tens to hundreds of revolutions per second.

Let us proceed further in the study of superdense cosmic bodies. Then comes a layer that has the characteristics of a metal, but is most likely similar in behavior and structure. Crystals are much smaller than we see in the crystal lattice of the Earth's substances. To build a line of crystals of 1 centimeter, you will need to lay out more than 10 billion elements. The density in this layer is one million times higher than in the outer layer. It is not the heaviest matter of a star. This is followed by a layer rich in neutrons, the density of which is a thousand times higher than the previous one.

The core of a neutron star and its density

Below is the core, it is here that the density reaches its maximum - twice as high as the overlying layer. The substance of the core of a celestial body consists of all elementary particles known to physics. With this, we have reached the end of the journey to the core of the star in search of the heaviest matter in space.

The mission in search of substances unique in density in the Universe, it would seem, has been completed. But space is full of mysteries and undiscovered phenomena, stars, facts and patterns.

Black holes in the universe

You should pay attention to what is already open today. These are black holes. Perhaps it is these mysterious objects that can be contenders for the fact that the heaviest substance in the Universe is their component. Note that the gravity of black holes is so strong that light cannot escape.

According to the assumptions of scientists, the substance, drawn into the region of space-time, is compacted so much that there is no space between elementary particles.

Unfortunately, beyond the event horizon (the so-called boundary where light and any object, under the influence of gravitational forces, cannot leave a black hole), our guesses and indirect assumptions follow, based on emissions of particle flows.

A number of scientists suggest that beyond the event horizon, space and time mix. There is an opinion that they can be a "passage" to another Universe. Perhaps this corresponds to the truth, although it is quite possible that another space opens up beyond these limits with completely new laws. An area where time will change "place" with space. The location of the future and the past is determined only by the choice of following. Like our choice to go right or left.

It is potentially possible that there are civilizations in the universe that have mastered time travel through black holes. Perhaps in the future, people from planet Earth will discover the secret of time travel.

The most expensive metal in the world and the densest substance on the planet

Posted on 02/01/2012 (valid until 02/01/2013)

In nature, there are a lot of different metals and precious stones, the cost of which is very high for most of the inhabitants of the planet. About precious stones, people more or less have an idea which are the most expensive, which are most valued. But, that's how things are with metals, most people other than gold and platinum are no longer aware of expensive metals. What is the most expensive metal in the world? The curiosity of people has no boundaries, they are looking for answers to the most interesting questions. Finding out the cost of the most expensive metal on the planet is not a problem, since this is not classified information.

Most likely, this is the first time you hear this name - the Osmium isotope 1870s. This chemical element is the most expensive metal in the world. You could see the name of such a chemical element in the periodic table at number 76. Osmium isotope is the densest substance on the planet. Its density is 22.61 g/cm 3 . Under normal standard conditions, osmium is silvery in color and has a pungent odor. This metal belongs to the group of platinum metals. This metal is used in the manufacture of nuclear weapons, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, and sometimes in jewelry.

But, now the main question is - how much is the most expensive metal in the world? Now its cost on the black market is $ 200,000 per 1 gram. Since obtaining the 1870s isotope is a very difficult task, few people will take up this matter. Earlier, in 2004, Kazakhstan officially offered one gram of pure Osmium isotope for $10,000. Kazakhstan at one time became the first expert of expensive metal, no other country put this metal up for sale.

Osmium was discovered by the English chemist Smithson Tennant in 1804. Osmium is obtained from enriched raw materials of platinum metals by calcining this concentrate in air at temperatures of 800-900 degrees Celsius. And until now, scientists replenish the periodic table, getting elements with incredible properties.

Many will say that there is even more expensive metal - this is California 252. The price of California 252 is $ 6,500,000 per 1 gram. But, it is worth considering the fact that the world's supply of this metal is only a few grams. So, as it is produced only at two reactors in Russia and the USA at 20-40 micrograms per year. But, its properties are very impressive: 1 microgram of California produces more than 2 million neutrons per second. In recent years, this metal has been used in medicine as a point source of neutrons for local treatment of malignant tumors.

1. The blackest matter known to man
What happens if you put the edges of carbon nanotubes on top of each other and alternate layers of them? The result is a material that absorbs 99.9% of the light that hits it. The microscopic surface of the material is uneven and rough, which refracts light and is a poor reflective surface. After that, try to use carbon nanotubes as superconductors in a certain order, which makes them excellent light absorbers, and you have a real black storm. Scientists are seriously puzzled by the potential applications of this substance, since, in fact, light is not "lost", the substance could be used to improve optical devices, such as telescopes, and even be used for solar panels that operate at almost 100% efficiency.
2. The most combustible substance
Lots of things burn at amazing rates, like styrofoam, napalm, and that's just the beginning. But what if there was a substance that could set fire to the earth? On the one hand, this is a provocative question, but it was asked as a starting point. Chlorine trifluoride has the dubious reputation of being terribly flammable, though the Nazis thought it was too dangerous to work with. When people who discuss genocide believe that the purpose of their life is not to use something because it is too lethal, this encourages careful handling of these substances. It is said that one day a ton of substance was spilled and a fire started, and 30.5 cm of concrete and a meter of sand and gravel burned out until everything subsided. Unfortunately, the Nazis were right.
3. The most poisonous substance
Tell me, what would you least like to get on your face? It could very well be the most deadly poison, which will rightfully take 3rd place among the main extreme substances. Such a poison is really different from what burns through concrete, and from the strongest acid in the world (which will be invented soon). Although not entirely true, but you all, no doubt, heard from the medical community about Botox, and thanks to it the most deadly poison became famous. Botox uses botulinum toxin, which is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, and it is very deadly, and a grain of salt is enough to kill a 200-pound man. In fact, scientists have calculated that it is enough to spray only 4 kg of this substance to kill all people on earth. Probably, an eagle would have acted much more humanely with a rattlesnake than this poison with a person.
4. The hottest substance
There are very few things in the world known to man to be hotter than the inside of a newly microwaved Hot Pocket, but this stuff seems set to break that record as well. Created by the collision of gold atoms at almost the speed of light, matter is called quark-gluon "soup" and it reaches a crazy 4 trillion degrees Celsius, which is almost 250,000 times hotter than the stuff inside the Sun. The amount of energy released in the collision would be enough to melt the protons and neutrons, which in itself has features that you did not even suspect. Scientists say this stuff could give us a glimpse of what the birth of our universe was like, so it's worth understanding that tiny supernovae aren't created for fun. However, the really good news is that the "soup" spanned one trillionth of a centimeter and lasted for a trillionth of one trillionth of a second.
5. The most corrosive acid
Acid is a terrible substance, one of the scariest monsters in cinema was given acid blood to make it even more terrible than just a killing machine ("Alien"), so it is ingrained inside us that exposure to acid is very bad. If the aliens were filled with fluoride-antimonial acid, not only would they sink deep through the floor, but the fumes emitted from their dead bodies would kill everything around them. This acid is 21019 times stronger than sulfuric acid and can seep through glass. And it can explode if you add water. And during its reaction, poisonous fumes are released that can kill anyone in the room.
6 Most Explosive Explosives
In fact, this place is currently divided by two components: octogen and heptanitrocuban. Heptanitrocuban mainly exists in laboratories, and is similar to HMX, but has a denser crystal structure, which carries a greater potential for destruction. HMX, on the other hand, exists in large enough quantities that it can threaten physical existence. It is used in solid propellants for rockets, and even for detonators of nuclear weapons. And the last one is the most terrifying, because despite how easily it happens in the movies, starting a fission/fusion reaction that results in bright, glowing mushroom-like nuclear clouds is not an easy task, but octogen does an excellent job of it.
7. The most radioactive substance
Speaking of radiation, it's worth mentioning that the glowing green "plutonium" rods shown in The Simpsons are just a fantasy. Just because something is radioactive doesn't mean it glows. It's worth mentioning because "polonium-210" is so radioactive that it glows blue. Former Soviet spy Alexander Litvinenko was misled when the substance was added to his food and died of cancer shortly thereafter. This is not something you want to joke about, the glow is caused by the air around the substance being affected by the radiation, and in fact the objects around it can get hot. When we say "radiation", we think, for example, of a nuclear reactor or an explosion, where the fission reaction actually takes place. This is only the release of ionized particles, and not out of control splitting of atoms.
8. The heaviest substance
If you thought that the heaviest substance on earth was diamonds, that was a good but inaccurate guess. This is a technically created diamond nanorod. It is actually a collection of nano-scale diamonds, with the lowest degree of compression and the heaviest substance known to man. It doesn't really exist, but which would be nice, since it means that someday we could cover our cars with this stuff and just get rid of it when the train hits (an unrealistic event). This substance was invented in Germany in 2005 and will probably be used to the same extent as industrial diamonds, except for the fact that the new substance is more resistant to wear than ordinary diamonds.
9. The most magnetic substance
If the inductor were a small black piece, then this would be the same substance. The substance, developed in 2010 from iron and nitrogen, has magnetic abilities that are 18% greater than the previous "record holder" and is so powerful that it has forced scientists to rethink how magnetism works. The person who discovered this substance distanced himself from his studies so that none of the other scientists could reproduce his work, as it was reported that a similar compound was being developed in Japan in the past in 1996, but other physicists were unable to reproduce it, therefore officially this substance was not accepted. It is unclear whether Japanese physicists should promise to make Sepuku under these circumstances. If this substance can be replicated, it could mean a new age of efficient electronics and magnetic motors, perhaps an order of magnitude more powerful.
10. The strongest superfluidity
Superfluidity is a state of matter (like solid or gaseous) that occurs at extremely low temperatures, has high thermal conductivity (every ounce of this substance must be exactly the same temperature) and no viscosity. Helium-2 is the most characteristic representative. The helium-2 cup will spontaneously rise and spill out of the container. Helium-2 will also seep through other solid materials, as the total lack of friction allows it to flow through other invisible openings through which ordinary helium (or water for this case) could not flow. "Helium-2" does not come into its proper state at number 1, as if it has the ability to act on its own, although it is also the most efficient thermal conductor on Earth, several hundred times better than copper. Heat moves so fast through "helium-2" that it travels in waves, like sound (actually known as "second sound"), rather than being dissipated, it simply moves from one molecule to another. By the way, the forces that govern the ability of "helium-2" to crawl along the wall are called the "third sound". You are unlikely to have anything more extreme than the substance that required the definition of 2 new types of sound.

It is said that for every type of substance there is a "most extreme" variant. Sure, we've all heard stories of magnets strong enough to injure kids from the inside and acids that will go through your hands in seconds, but there are even more "extreme" versions of them.

The blackest matter known to man
What happens if you put the edges of carbon nanotubes on top of each other and alternate layers of them? The result is a material that absorbs 99.9% of the light that hits it. The microscopic surface of the material is uneven and rough, which refracts light and is a poor reflective surface. After that, try to use carbon nanotubes as superconductors in a certain order, which makes them excellent light absorbers, and you have a real black storm. Scientists are seriously puzzled by the potential applications of this substance, since, in fact, light is not "lost", the substance could be used to improve optical devices, such as telescopes, and even be used for solar panels that operate at almost 100% efficiency.

The most combustible substance
Lots of things burn at amazing rates, like styrofoam, napalm, and that's just the beginning. But what if there was a substance that could set fire to the earth? On the one hand, this is a provocative question, but it was asked as a starting point. Chlorine trifluoride has the dubious reputation of being terribly flammable, though the Nazis thought it was too dangerous to work with. When people who discuss genocide believe that the purpose of their life is not to use something because it is too lethal, this encourages careful handling of these substances. It is said that one day a ton of substance was spilled and a fire started, and 30.5 cm of concrete and a meter of sand and gravel burned out until everything subsided. Unfortunately, the Nazis were right.

The most poisonous substance
Tell me, what would you least like to get on your face? It could very well be the most deadly poison, which will rightfully take 3rd place among the main extreme substances. Such a poison is really different from what burns through concrete, and from the strongest acid in the world (which will be invented soon). Although not entirely true, but you all, no doubt, heard from the medical community about Botox, and thanks to it the most deadly poison became famous. Botox uses botulinum toxin, which is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, and it is very deadly, and a grain of salt is enough to kill a 200-pound man. In fact, scientists have calculated that it is enough to spray only 4 kg of this substance to kill all people on earth. Probably, an eagle would have acted much more humanely with a rattlesnake than this poison with a person.

The hottest substance
There are very few things in the world known to man to be hotter than the inside of a newly microwaved Hot Pocket, but this stuff seems set to break that record as well. Created by the collision of gold atoms at almost the speed of light, matter is called quark-gluon "soup" and it reaches a crazy 4 trillion degrees Celsius, which is almost 250,000 times hotter than the stuff inside the Sun. The amount of energy released in the collision would be enough to melt the protons and neutrons, which in itself has features that you did not even suspect. Scientists say this stuff could give us a glimpse of what the birth of our universe was like, so it's worth understanding that tiny supernovae aren't created for fun. However, the really good news is that the "soup" spanned one trillionth of a centimeter and lasted for a trillionth of one trillionth of a second.

The most corrosive acid
Acid is a terrible substance, one of the scariest monsters in cinema was given acid blood to make it even more terrible than just a killing machine ("Alien"), so it is ingrained inside us that exposure to acid is very bad. If the aliens were filled with fluoride-antimonial acid, not only would they sink deep through the floor, but the fumes emitted from their dead bodies would kill everything around them. This acid is 21019 times stronger than sulfuric acid and can seep through glass. And it can explode if you add water. And during its reaction, poisonous fumes are released that can kill anyone in the room.

The most explosive explosive
In fact, this place is currently divided by two components: octogen and heptanitrocuban. Heptanitrocuban mainly exists in laboratories, and is similar to HMX, but has a denser crystal structure, which carries a greater potential for destruction. HMX, on the other hand, exists in large enough quantities that it can threaten physical existence. It is used in solid propellants for rockets, and even for detonators of nuclear weapons. And the last one is the most terrifying, because despite how easily it happens in the movies, starting a fission/fusion reaction that results in bright, glowing mushroom-like nuclear clouds is not an easy task, but octogen does an excellent job of it.

The most radioactive substance
Speaking of radiation, it's worth mentioning that the glowing green "plutonium" rods shown in The Simpsons are just a fantasy. Just because something is radioactive doesn't mean it glows. It's worth mentioning because "polonium-210" is so radioactive that it glows blue. Former Soviet spy Alexander Litvinenko was misled when the substance was added to his food and died of cancer shortly thereafter. This is not something you want to joke about, the glow is caused by the air around the substance being affected by the radiation, and in fact the objects around it can get hot. When we say "radiation", we think, for example, of a nuclear reactor or an explosion, where the fission reaction actually takes place. This is only the release of ionized particles, and not out of control splitting of atoms.

The heaviest substance
If you thought that the heaviest substance on earth was diamonds, that was a good but inaccurate guess. This is a technically created diamond nanorod. It is actually a collection of nano-scale diamonds, with the lowest degree of compression and the heaviest substance known to man. It doesn't really exist, but which would be nice, since it means that someday we could cover our cars with this stuff and just get rid of it when the train hits (an unrealistic event). This substance was invented in Germany in 2005 and will probably be used to the same extent as industrial diamonds, except for the fact that the new substance is more resistant to wear than ordinary diamonds.

The most magnetic substance
If the inductor were a small black piece, then this would be the same substance. The substance, developed in 2010 from iron and nitrogen, has magnetic abilities that are 18% greater than the previous "record holder" and is so powerful that it has forced scientists to rethink how magnetism works. The person who discovered this substance distanced himself from his studies so that none of the other scientists could reproduce his work, as it was reported that a similar compound was being developed in Japan in the past in 1996, but other physicists were unable to reproduce it, therefore officially this substance was not accepted. It is unclear whether Japanese physicists should promise to make Sepuku under these circumstances. If this substance can be replicated, it could mean a new age of efficient electronics and magnetic motors, perhaps an order of magnitude more powerful.

The strongest superfluidity
Superfluidity is a state of matter (like solid or gaseous) that occurs at extremely low temperatures, has high thermal conductivity (every ounce of this substance must be exactly the same temperature) and no viscosity. Helium-2 is the most characteristic representative. The helium-2 cup will spontaneously rise and spill out of the container. Helium-2 will also seep through other solid materials, as the total lack of friction allows it to flow through other invisible openings through which ordinary helium (or water for this case) could not flow. "Helium-2" does not come into its proper state at number 1, as if it has the ability to act on its own, although it is also the most efficient thermal conductor on Earth, several hundred times better than copper. Heat moves so fast through "helium-2" that it travels in waves, like sound (actually known as "second sound"), rather than being dissipated, it simply moves from one molecule to another. By the way, the forces that govern the ability of "helium-2" to crawl along the wall are called the "third sound". You are unlikely to have anything more extreme than the substance that required the definition of 2 new types of sound.