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Cobalt

Adapted from Wikipedia · Explorer experience

A pure cobalt cube and cobalt chips, showing the metallic element in solid form.

What is Cobalt?

Cobalt is a hard, gray metal found in the ground. People have used cobalt for thousands of years to make beautiful blue colors in jewelry, paints, and glass.

Where Do We Find Cobalt?

Most cobalt comes from mining copper and nickel. The Democratic Republic of the Congo makes most of the world’s cobalt. Cobalt is also found in small amounts in rocks, soil, and even in some plants and animals.

Why is Cobalt Important?

Cobalt is very important for making things:

  • Batteries: Cobalt helps make lithium-ion batteries used in phones, computers, and electric cars.
  • Strong Metals: Mixing cobalt with other metals makes strong alloys used in airplane engines and medical tools.
  • Beautiful Colors: Cobalt makes bright blue colors for glass, ceramics, and paints.

Cobalt in Our Bodies

Cobalt is a key part of Vitamin B12, which helps all animals stay healthy. Our bodies get the cobalt we need when we eat foods with Vitamin B12.

Fun Fact

Cobalt is also used to make special magnets that stay strong even at very high temperatures. This makes it useful for computers, sensors, and machines that picture the inside of our bodies.

Images

A sample of pure cobalt metal, showing its metallic appearance and texture.
A close-up of a cobalt burin, a tool used in factories to shape plastic or steel parts.
A close-up of cobalt(II) chloride hexahydrate, a vibrant magenta powder used in scientific experiments.
An example of beautiful blue and white ceramic ware from ancient China, made around the year 1335.
A beautiful example of Bristol blue glass, showcasing its unique color and craftsmanship.
A scientific diagram showing the structure of a cobalt compound used in chemistry research.
A close-up of cobalt ore, a natural mineral, shown alongside coins to indicate its size and color.
A beautiful cobalt blue glass flask used for storing liquids and as a decorative item.

Related articles

Glass
Copper
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Vitamin B12

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Cobalt, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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