What are some properties of rubidium?

The two elements are found together in minerals and soils, although potassium is much more abundant than rubidium. Plant will adsorb rubidium quite quickly. When stresses by deficiency of potassium some plants, such as sugar beet, will respond to the addition of rubidium. read more

Rubidium salts are used in glasses and ceramics and in fireworks to give them a purple colour. Potential uses are in ion engines for space vehicles, as working fluid in vapor turbines, and as getter in vacuum tubes. Rubidium in the environment. Rubidium is considered to be the 16th most abundant element in the earth's crust. read more

Rubidium is no exception to this rule, being silvery-white and melting at 39 ºC. The element has two naturally occurring isotopes. Rubidium-85 is the dominant form, accounting for 72 per cent of the total, while most of the remainder is the radioactive rubidium-87, which has a half-life of 50 billion years. read more

Get periodic table facts on the chemical and physical properties of the element rubidium. read more