Depending on how hot your neck of the woods is, gallium is the only metal other than mercury to be in a liquid state at room temperature. Luckily, it is also completely safe to handle. The combination of these two properties has made gallium a popular gift for the geek in all of us. Unfortunately, it isn't the cheapest and, unlike mercury, it will coat most surfaces which is quite messy.

The world has an insatiable appetite for this rather rare metal as it is a key component in the making of LEDs. Across every one of the hundreds of screens you are likely see daily, each and every pixel has at its heart a dab of gallium. On its own it doesn’t do much but when alloyed with a little of this and that it will glow in a wide palette of different colors; a property that comes in very handy for all manner of electronic displays!

Note additional options for this element on the Ampules section

CAS 7440-55-3