BISMUTH 253 



CLASS V. 



BISMUTH. 



Bismuth -de- ^^' DESCRIPTION. Bismuth is a brittle, 

 script-fan, sol- crystalline metal, of a reddish white color. 



vents, and oc- . . 



currence in It is used in making certain alloys. Like 

 antimony, it can be readily ground to pow- 

 der. Crystals of bismuth may be obtained by 

 the method described in the section on sulphur, 

 as represented in the figure. Nitric acid is its 

 proper solvent, and forms with it a colorless solution. 

 Bismuth is found native, forming threads of metal in 

 quartz rock. Its most productive localities are in 

 S axony. 



629. PRODUCTION. The metal is pro- 



How is bis- . 



muthprodu- cured from the rock which contains it, by 

 simple heating, in inclined tubes. At a 

 comparatively moderate temperature the bismuth fuses 

 and runs down into vessels placed to receive it. 



630. EFFECT OF HEAT AND AIR. The 



What is its 



action before same experiments before the blow-pipe, 

 thcbloiv-pipc? and with mo i ten globules, which were 



described in the case of antimony, 

 may be made with bismuth. The 

 only difference is, that the metal does 

 not burn with flame, and that the coat- 

 ing of oxide on the charcoal is yellow, instead of white. 



631. USES OF BISMUTH. Its principal 



What are the 



uses of bis- use is in the preparation of alloys, to be 

 muth? described hereafter. One of them has the 



