Beryllium for Kids
buh-RIL-ee-um · Alkaline earth metal
I wonder… How does a space telescope see stars that are super far away?
Beryllium is a light, super-stiff metal. It hides inside green gems, and it's helping us see the farthest stars.
Quick facts
- Atomic number
- 4
- Symbol
- Be
- Atomic mass
- 9.012
- Type
- Alkaline earth metal
- Discovered
- 1798
- Discovered by
- Louis-Nicolas Vauquelin
- Name means
- Named after the gem beryl
- At room temperature
- Solid (a metal)
How beryllium was discovered
Part 1 of 3
Two gemstones
In 1798, a French chemist named Louis-Nicolas Vauquelin was asked a question: are the gems beryl and emerald made of the same stuff? He ground them up and tested them.
Part 2 of 3
A sweet surprise
They were the same! And both held a new element. Its chemicals tasted sweet, so it was first called “glucinium,” from a Greek word for sweet. But beryllium is poisonous, so tasting it was a very bad idea!
Part 3 of 3
Freeing the metal
Vauquelin never saw the pure metal. In 1828, two chemists, Friedrich Wöhler and Antoine Bussy, finally pulled it out. Later it got its new name, beryllium, after the gem beryl.
What is beryllium used for?
Space telescope mirrors
The James Webb Space Telescope has 18 mirrors made of beryllium, covered in a thin layer of real gold.
Airplanes and satellites
Beryllium is light and stiff, so it's used for special parts that must not bend.
X-ray windows
X-rays pass right through beryllium, so it's used as a “window” in X-ray machines.
Fun facts about beryllium
Which gems hide it?
Green emeralds and blue aquamarines are both kinds of the gem beryl, which contains beryllium.
Light AND strong?
Beryllium is lighter than aluminum, but stiffer than steel.
What's the lesson?
Never taste chemicals! Scientists today know that beryllium dust can make people very sick.
Inside a beryllium atom
Beryllium has 2 electrons on its inside track and 2 on its outside track.
Quiz yourself
1. Which famous space telescope uses beryllium mirrors?
- The Hubble Telescope
- The James Webb Space Telescope
- The Moon Telescope
Show the answer
The James Webb Space Telescope. The James Webb Space Telescope's 18 gold-coated mirrors are made of beryllium.
2. Which green gem contains beryllium?
- Ruby
- Emerald
- Diamond
Show the answer
Emerald. Emeralds are a kind of the gem beryl, and beryl contains beryllium.
Try it at home (with a grown-up): Spoon telescope mirror
Grown-up needed! Only do this with a grown-up right next to you, the whole time.
You'll need
- A grown-up to show what you find
- A big, shiny metal spoon
What to do
- Look at your face in the inside (the scoop side) of the spoon. What do you notice?
- Now flip it over and look at the back side.
- On the scoop side you're upside down! On the back side you're right side up but tiny.
- Curved mirrors bend light in different ways. The Webb telescope's mirrors are curved like a giant scoop, so they gather faint starlight and bring it together to one spot.
- Try it: hold the spoon close, then far. When does your face flip?
Safety rules
- Use a smooth spoon only. Never use a knife or a fork.
- Never use the spoon, or any mirror, to look at the Sun or to bounce sunlight into someone's eyes.
Draw it
Draw the Webb Space Telescope looking at a faraway star or galaxy.
Riddle
“I hide inside green emeralds, and I help a giant space telescope see faraway stars. What am I?”
Explore beryllium with animations, read-aloud and a drawing pad
Open it on Atom a Day →