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Rubidium
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{{distinguish|ruthenium}} {{good article}} {{infobox rubidium}} '''Rubidium''' is a [[chemical element]]; it has [[Symbol (chemistry)|symbol]] '''Rb''' and [[atomic number]] 37. It is a very soft, whitish-grey solid in the [[alkali metal]] group, similar to [[potassium]] and [[caesium]].<ref>{{ Ullmann |doi=10.1002/14356007.a23_473.pub2 |title=Rubidium and Rubidium Compounds |year=2010 |last1=Lenk |first1=Winfried |last2=Prinz |first2=Horst |last3=Steinmetz |first3=Anja |isbn=978-3527306732 }}</ref> Rubidium is the first [[alkali metal]] in the group to have a density higher than [[Properties of water|water]]. On Earth, natural rubidium comprises two [[isotope]]s: 72% is a stable isotope {{sup|85}}Rb, and 28% is slightly [[radioactive]] {{sup|87}}Rb, with a [[half-life]] of 48.8 billion years β more than three times as long as the estimated [[age of the universe]]. German chemists [[Robert Bunsen]] and [[Gustav Kirchhoff]] discovered rubidium in 1861 by the newly developed technique, [[Atomic emission spectroscopy#Flame emission spectroscopy|flame spectroscopy]]. The name comes from the [[Latin]] word {{lang|la|rubidus}}, meaning deep red, the color of its emission spectrum. Rubidium's compounds have various chemical and electronic applications. Rubidium metal is easily vaporized and has a convenient spectral absorption range, making it a frequent target for [[laser]] manipulation of [[atom]]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rubidium (Rb) |website=American Elements (americanelements.com) |url=https://www.americanelements.com/rb.htm |access-date=2024-03-27 |lang=en-US}}</ref> Rubidium is not a known nutrient for any [[organism|living organisms]]. However, rubidium [[ion]]s have similar properties and the same charge as potassium ions, and are actively taken up and treated by [[animal cell]]s in similar ways.
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