Rubidium

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Rubidium \Ru*bid"i*um\, n. [NL., fr. L. rubidus red, fr. rubere
     to be red. So called from two dark red spectroscopic lines by
     means of which it was discovered in the lepidolite from
     Rozena, Moravia. See {Rubicund}.] (Chem.)
     A rare metallic element of the alkali metal series, atomic
     number 37. It occurs quite widely, but in small quantities,


     and always combined. It is isolated as a soft yellowish white
     metal, analogous to potassium in most of its properties.
     Symbol Rb. Atomic weight, 85.48.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  rubidium
       n : a soft silvery metallic element of the alkali metal group;
           burns in air and reacts violently in water; occurs in
           carnallite and lepidolite and pollucite [syn: {Rb}, {atomic
           number 37}]

From Elements database 20001107 [elements]:

  rubidium
  Symbol: Rb
  Atomic number: 37
  Atomic weight: 85.47
  Soft silvery metallic element, belongs to group 1 of the periodic table.
  Rb-97, the naturally occurring isotope, is radioactive. It is highly
  reactive, with properties similar to other elements in group 1, like
  igniting spontaneously in air. Discovered spectroscopically in 1861 by W.
  Bunsen and G.R. Kirchoff.