A hard, silvery metallic element with the symbol V, used primarily in steel alloys to increase strength and resistance to corrosion. It's also used in some specialized applications like batteries.
Named after Vanadis, another name for Freyja, the Norse goddess of beauty and fertility. Swedish chemist Nils Gabriel Sefström discovered the element in 1830 and chose this name because of the beautiful, multicolored compounds that vanadium forms. The element had been discovered earlier but not properly identified.
Vanadium is named after a Norse goddess of beauty because its compounds create some of the most gorgeous colors in chemistry - brilliant oranges, yellows, blues, and greens! Ironically, this 'beautiful' element is mostly used to make gray steel stronger, hiding its colorful personality behind industrial practicality like a goddess disguised as a construction worker.
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