gallium

American  

[gal-ee-uhm] / ˈgæl i əm /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a rare, steel-gray, trivalent metallic element used in high-temperature thermometers because of its high boiling point (1983°C) and low melting point (30°C). Ga; 69.72; 31; 5.91 at 20°C.

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gallium British  

/ ˈɡælɪəm /

noun

1. a silvery metallic element that is liquid for a wide temperature range. It occurs in trace amounts in some ores and is used in high-temperature thermometers and low-melting alloys. Gallium arsenide is a semiconductor. Symbol: Ga; atomic no: 31; atomic wt: 69.723; valency: 2 or 3; relative density: 5.904; melting pt: 29.77°C; boiling pt: 2205°C

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gallium Scientific  

/ găl′ē-əm /

1. A rare, silvery metallic element that is found as a trace element in coal, in bauxite, and in several minerals. It is liquid near room temperature and expands when it solidifies. It is used in thermometers and semiconductors. Atomic number 31; atomic weight 69.72; melting point 29.78°C; boiling point 2,403°C; specific gravity 5.907; valence 2, 3.

2. See Periodic Table

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Etymology

Origin of gallium

1870–75; < New Latin, equivalent to Latin gall ( us ) cock (translation of French coq, from Lecoq de Boisbaudran, 19th-century French chemist) + New Latin -ium -ium

Example Sentences

The module can be adapted for future semiconductor materials, including gallium nitride and gallium oxide, which has not yet reached commercial use.

From Science Daily

The final layer is an extremely thin sheet of indium gallium arsenide.

From Science Daily

Rare earths, gallium, and industrial gases, are all essential to chipmaking and lithography, but are geographically concentrated with limited substitutes.

From MarketWatch

Defense companies use antimony to harden bullets and strengthen armor-penetrating projectiles, while gallium is critical to the production of semiconductors.

From The Wall Street Journal

The U.S. facilities could develop into a complex smelter also producing antimony, germanium, gallium and other strategic minerals, the company said.

From The Wall Street Journal