Chemical Elements History and Information Flourine

About the chemical element Flourine, its symbol, atomic number and weight, who discovered it and when.

The Atomic Elements and Their Uses

(Element) (Symbol) (Atomic number) (Atomic weight)

Fluorine F 9 18.998403

Named and recognized by Andre Marie Ampere of France in 1811 and isolated by Henri Moissan of France in 1886. Fluorine is an essential ingredient in TeflonÆ and FreonÆ (a refrigerant and propellant). Freon gases are the ingredients in aerosol containers, which may be damaging the ozone layer in the atmosphere by changing ozone (O3) to oxygen (O2) . Soluble fluorides are very lethal. Small quantities taken over a period of time produce fluorosis: hypercalcification of bones, permanent stiffness of the spinal column, and stiff and painful joints. In lesser amounts, fluorine in water can cause a mottling or irregular browning of people's teeth. But at one part per million in drinking water, fluorine causes a substantial reduction in children's cavities.