Writing assignment

Chem 100

Spring 2018

Most, if not all, students are walking around with between 100 and 200 dollars’ worth of rare earth elements in their pockets. With the push to make cell phones thinner and lighter, all while having a long battery life, manufacturers are using more and more exotic materials to accomplish the task. Rare earth elements have amazing properties but are in very short supply.  

In 5-7 pages, list some of the rare-earth metals found in cell phones and what they are used for.  

Discuss why they are ‘rare earth’ and why they are so valuable.  

Pick three specific elements and discuss some of their properties that make them unique compared to other compounds or elements.  

You must use at least two references other than the text book.  

Something to keep in mind…it is estimated that we will run out of some of these elements by 2025 yet only 5-10% of all cell phones in the world are recycled. The remaining 90% are in drawers or landfills. Discuss some of these compounds/elements and what alternatives we have.