What is the most dense material that can exist on Earth?

[Lan(r)12]

lead isn't the densest, iridium and osmium are(its debatable which is denser as they are so close. and it is ever so slightly variable).

 

lasers and infrared can't go through a block of steel or aluminum either so i don't know why you are suggesting its a property of density.

 

i also don't recall any ships being made of lead, even russian ones.

 

Have they not done experimental studies to see which is more dense? Or do the published figures vary lab to lab?

[insane_alien]

we of course they've done experiments its just there are a variety of different crystal structures in the metals that can vary in the amount present which can alter the density so two different samples of the same element can have different densities. with osmium and iridium there is a fair bit of overlap.

 

osmium can have a slightly greater density than iridium but it is in the range of milligrams per centemeter cubed.

[GDG]

Lasers can't go through anything you can't see through (like a piece of black paper), because it's visible light. Various materials are opaque to various frequencies.

 

You wouldn't make a ship out of lead because it's so weak and heavy, but I'm assuming a nuclear sub would have a fair amount of lead on board surrounding the reactor.

 

You've obviously never used a cutting laser.

 

According to the EPA, nuclear subs use "steel, water tanks, and polyethylene" for radiation shielding. Probably weighs a lot less than lead (and having less mass makes the sub more manuverable).

[Sisyphus]

You've obviously never used a cutting laser.

 

If it passed through, it couldn't cut, now could it?

[GDG]

If it passed through, it couldn't cut, now could it?

 

It passes through: it just leaves a hole behind

[insane_alien]

It passes through: it just leaves a hole behind

 

by pass through it was meant that the material was transparent to it, ie, the laser goes through leaving the material unchanged.

[minus_Ph]

You've obviously never used a cutting laser.

 

According to the EPA, nuclear subs use "steel, water tanks, and polyethylene" for radiation shielding. Probably weighs a lot less than lead (and having less mass makes the sub more manuverable).

 

The polyethylene is shielding for the neutrons. They go right through lead like it isn't there at all. The lead, if any, is for the gamma rays they go right through the polyethylene and need some element with a heavy nucleus to attenuate them.

 

The ideal radiation shield has both.

[Lan(r)12]

we of course they've done experiments its just there are a variety of different crystal structures in the metals that can vary in the amount present which can alter the density so two different samples of the same element can have different densities. with osmium and iridium there is a fair bit of overlap.

 

osmium can have a slightly greater density than iridium but it is in the range of milligrams per centemeter cubed.

 

Well, that asnwers the part about naturally occuring materials...but what is the limit of the density the object can have and exist on earth, synthetic or organic.

 

And how the heck did this become about nuclear sub-shielding?

[Mr Skeptic]

Organic materials are going to have a lower density, since they must contain carbon and carbon is quite light.

[SH3RL0CK]

Well, that asnwers the part about naturally occuring materials...but what is the limit of the density the object can have and exist on earth, synthetic or organic.

 

This question has already been answered in this thread. Read posts # 2, 3, 4, and especially #8.

Edited March 6, 2009 by SH3RL0CK

[Sisyphus]

Probably should have linked to this earlier, but:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_elements_by_density

 

It's too bad all the heaviest ones are so expensive/rare/dangerous/unstable, as tossing around unexpectedly heavy objects is ripe for physical comedy.

[Lan(r)12]

Probably should have linked to this earlier, but:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_elements_by_density

 

It's too bad all the heaviest ones are so expensive/rare/dangerous/unstable, as tossing around unexpectedly heavy objects is ripe for physical comedy.

 

You're a genius lol

And yes, "pull my finger" has got nothing on this lol

[timetes]

I am not sure but i will take a wack at it

My guess is carbon based structures such as Fullerenes: Graphite and Diamonds:confused:

 

Ok....plus lead and the Iron core. Well, If I made a shield of one of these materials (except the core) to keep out harmful waves/privacy, would the out side of the shield be the "zero potential" were this new energy is made? Did that make sence.

[coke]

Probably should have linked to this earlier, but:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_elements_by_density

 

It's too bad all the heaviest ones are so expensive/rare/dangerous/unstable, as tossing around unexpectedly heavy objects is ripe for physical comedy.

 

wait a sec... thats list by density of elements... the most dense element is well known to be osmiun, followed by those other transition metals- platinum, gold, etc,

 

but osmium is not necesarily the most densest material... most densest material might be some compound

[Airbrush]

they aren't all that dense at all. lead is denser.

 

a quick google reveals estimates of the cores density to be somewhere about 13000kg/m3 http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/interior/

 

Why complicate the density? It is far easier to visualize the density your link gave (for the Earth's lower core) as 13.1 gm/cm^3 than to gross it up to a cubic meter.

 

Same goes for speeds greater than 3,600 mph, better call it one mile per second. That you can visualize. Or if your audience is not in the US, call it km/second. Scientists need to consider their audience, unless they want their only audience to be other scientists.

[stereologist]

These are all solids. Dense liquids are also interesting. Some dense liquids are oils and mixtures that can be used for sorting materials. We used to use an oil to sort topaz from quartz. The quartz floated on the oil and topaz being denser sank. I recall some liquids having specific gravities of 3 or 4.

[Sisyphus]

I recall some liquids having specific gravities of 3 or 4.

 

Mercury is also liquid at STP, and its specific gravity is about 13.5. In other words, lead will float on it, but gold will sink...

[insane_alien]

Why complicate the density?

 

i complicated it?

 

i did consider my audience. the people who use this forums most go for SI units. i posted in SI. most literature uses SI as well. heck, forum policy is to use SI.

[Airbrush]

Sorry Mr. Alien, you are correct. On second thought, I can't imagine how heavy 13.1 grams would be for something only one cubic centimeter. What I need is a common object, one that I pick up often, and the weight of that object in units I grew up with. Sorry, but I am not a scientist. I miss a lot of good science when the standard units of measure just whizz over my head.

Edited March 31, 2009 by Airbrush

[Sisyphus]

On second thought, I can't imagine how heavy 13.1 grams would be for something only one cubic centimeter. What I need is a common object, one that I pick up often, and the weight of that object. Sorry, but I am not a scientist. I miss a lot when units of measure just wizz over my head.

 

That's why specific gravity (which would be the same as g/cm^3) is useful, because the weight of water is something that everyone is familiar with. So, say, a gallon of that material would have the weight of 13.1 gallons of water, or about 109 pounds.

 

Or, since humans are very close to the density of water, a life size statue of you made of that material would weigh about 13 times what you weigh.

[Airbrush]

Thanks Sisyphus, that is the kind of stuff I like to hear.

[timetes]

Lasers can't go through anything you can't see through (like a piece of black paper), because it's visible light. Various materials are opaque to various frequencies.

 

You wouldn't make a ship out of lead because it's so weak and heavy, but I'm assuming a nuclear sub would have a fair amount of lead on board surrounding the reactor.

 

Well they seem to have some sort of other type of waves....terahertz radiation....seems to through everything ......except water and metal....

privacy gone... unless your sitting in a metal tub:eyebrow:

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wait a sec... thats list by density of elements... the most dense element is well known to be osmiun, followed by those other transition metals- platinum, gold, etc,

 

but osmium is not necesarily the most densest material... most densest material might be some compound

 

great....what could that compound be? Then patent it.

 

With all these smart people here...... what type of shielding could be used against some of this new technology that could be harmful to humans.....mico-magnetic-electrical-radiation... waves/lasers/infred etc.

 

What I got was.....a material without carbin as not to make the shield less dense. Steel/Water tanks/Ployethylene and apparently ...need something to attenuate them all.

[Klaynos]

I'd suggest you want some kind of broadband metamaterial to shield well against EM radiation...

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Oh and before I forget, there are lots of things which THz radiation will not pass through, it is, as always, very frequency dependent.

[timetes]

I'd suggest you want some kind of broadband metamaterial to shield well against EM radiation...

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Oh and before I forget, there are lots of things which THz radiation will not pass through, it is, as always, very frequency dependent.

 

Why thank you:-) most think im nuts...lol

I just read a quote....."most say, what can not be done with science instead of what is possible with science". Very true and most are stuck on old thearys, I would assume..........Im just a mother...ohhh now a grandmother:)

 

An issue is "if a new invention is made, make sure it can not harm the earth and all who live here and it can be counter-acted or reversed"....just in case.

 

That said ....apparently they did adoped an....."Artificially engineered composite termed "metamaterial" control over a "medium" well....electomagnetic waves is what im interested in..... tunneling by "Zero" index. Ok....Polarization of electromagnetic waves using Anisotropic metamaterial...."wave retarders" " I guess it was designed for a highly efficient broadband wave retarder ..........what could that material be? Should I cover my plugs? Again.......can you make a house with it or use this in an apartment?

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These are all solids. Dense liquids are also interesting. Some dense liquids are oils and mixtures that can be used for sorting materials. We used to use an oil to sort topaz from quartz. The quartz floated on the oil and topaz being denser sank. I recall some liquids having specific gravities of 3 or 4.

 

Im not sure what type of material should be used or is being used but I found this info baluns ....

http://www.eznec.com/Amateur/Articles/Baluns.pdf

so there is a "possibility" that I may be feeling a wave or zap from cable wire not insilated enough.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balun

 

topaz is a stone.....what could be used a an "insilation" in a home that dense enough to stop all types of waves. As I see that it must be a mixture of natural and man made.

Edited April 26, 2009 by timetes

[Megabrain]

What is the most dense material that can exist on Earth?

 

Human brain cells, there's nothing more dense than you humans!