Molybdenum may not be well known in the collective mind of the public but figures prominently in the world of metallurgy as one of the ingredients that, together with iron, makes steel. "Moly steel" is a collective term used for many steel grades containing varying amounts of molybdenum all of which yield much higher strength than iron can alone. In metallurgical terms, strength is that property that allows the object to retain its shape under a load; ie. a steel plate not buckling when a weight has been placed on it.

Our sample of molybdenum started out as a rod which was sliced into a disc then polished to a flawless mirror finish, photographed here reflecting blue glass. The disc is embedded in an optically clear acrylic cube measuring 50x50x50mm.