What is "platinum"

Platinum \Plat"i*num\, n. [NL., fr. Sp. platina, from plata silver, LL. plata a thin plate of metal. See Plate, and cf. Platina.] (Chem.) A metallic element of atomic number 78, one of the noble metals, classed with silver and gold as a precious metal, occurring native or alloyed with other metals and also as the platinum arsenide (sperrylite). It is a heavy tin-white metal which is ductile and malleable, but very infusible (melting point 1772[deg] C), and characterized by its resistance to strong chemical reagents. It is used for crucibles in laboratory operations, as a catalyst, in jewelry, for stills for sulphuric acid, rarely for coin, and in the form of foil and wire for many purposes. Specific gravity 21.5. Atomic weight 195.1. Symbol Pt. Formerly called platina.

Platinum black (Chem.), a soft, dull black powder, consisting of finely divided metallic platinum obtained by reduction and precipitation from its solutions. It absorbs oxygen to a high degree, and is employed as an oxidizer.

Platinum lamp (Elec.), a kind of incandescent lamp of which the luminous medium is platinum. See under Incandescent.

Platinum metals (Chem.), the group of metallic elements which in their chemical and physical properties resemble platinum. These consist of the light platinum group, viz., rhodium, ruthenium, and palladium, whose specific gravities are about 12; and the heavy platinum group, viz., osmium, iridium, and platinum, whose specific gravities are over 21.

Platinum sponge (Chem.), metallic platinum in a gray, porous, spongy form, obtained by reducing the double chloride of platinum and ammonium. It absorbs oxygen, hydrogen, and certain other gases, to a high degree, and is employed as an agent in oxidizing.

metallic element, 1812, Modern Latin, from Spanish platina "platinum," diminutive of plata "silver," from Old French plate or Old Provençal plata "sheet of metal" (see plate (n.)). The metal looks like silver, and the Spaniards at first thought it an inferior sort of silver, hence the name platina. It was first obtained from Spanish colonies in Mexico and Colombia, brought to Europe in 1735, and identified as an element 1741. Taken into English as platina (c.1750), it took its modern form (with element ending -ium) in 1812, at the time the names of elements were being regularized. As a shade of blond hair, attested from 1931. As a designation for a recording that has sold at least one million copies, it is attested from 1971.

a. 1 Of a whitish grey colour, like that of the metal. 2 Of a musical recording that has sold over one million copies (for singles), or two million (for albums). n. 1 The metallic chemical element with atomic number 78 and symbol Pt. 2 A whitish grey colour, like that of the metal. 3 (context music English) A single or album that has achieved platinum sales, i.e. over 1 million or 2 million.

n. a heavy precious metallic element; gray-white and resistant to corroding; occurs in some nickel and copper ores and is also found native in some deposits [syn: Pt, atomic number 78]

Platinum is the fifth record album by Mike Oldfield, released in 1979 on Virgin Records. It was Oldfield's first album to feature songs and cover material. A slightly different version of the album was released in the United States and Canada and titled Airborn.

The In Concert 1980 tour, which ran from April to December of that year, was in promotion of the album. In Germany the album peaked at number 11. The album has since been reissued with bonus material.

Platinum is a chemical element.

Platinum may also refer to:

• Platinum group, a collective name used for six chemical elements in the periodic table

is the sixth single from singer Maaya Sakamoto, released on October 21, 1999. The single belongs to the soundtrack of Japanese anime series Cardcaptor Sakura and used as Cardcaptor Sakura season 3's opening theme song.

Platinum is a musical with a book by Will Holt and Bruce Vilanch, music by Gary William Friedman, and lyrics by Holt. Set in a Hollywood recording studio, it centers on Lila Halliday, a star of 1940s and 1950s movie musicals who is attempting a comeback. In the process, she falls for a young rock star named Dan Riley.

''' Platinum ''' is a chemical element with symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, gray-white transition metal. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina, which is literally translated into "little silver".

Platinum is a member of the platinum group of elements and group 10 of the periodic table of elements. It has six naturally occurring isotopes. It is one of the rarer elements in Earth's crust with an average abundance of approximately 5 μg/kg. It occurs in some nickel and copper ores along with some native deposits, mostly in South Africa, which accounts for 80% of the world production. Because of its scarcity in Earth's crust, only a few hundred tonnes are produced annually, and given its important uses, it is highly valuable and is a major precious metal commodity.

Platinum is one of the least reactive metals. It has remarkable resistance to corrosion, even at high temperatures, and is therefore considered a noble metal. Consequently, platinum is often found chemically uncombined as native platinum. Because it occurs naturally in the alluvial sands of various rivers, it was first used by pre-Columbian South American natives to produce artifacts. It was referenced in European writings as early as 16th century, but it was not until Antonio de Ulloa published a report on a new metal of Colombian origin in 1748 that it began to be investigated by scientists.

Platinum is used in catalytic converters, laboratory equipment, electrical contacts and electrodes, platinum resistance thermometers, dentistry equipment, and jewelry. Being a heavy metal, it leads to health issues upon exposure to its salts; but due to its corrosion resistance, metallic platinum has not been linked to adverse health effects. Compounds containing platinum, such as cisplatin, oxaliplatin and carboplatin, are applied in chemotherapy against certain types of cancer.

Platinum is a barbershop quartet, created in 1998 and the 2000 SPEBSQSA international quartet champions. They are famous for their long posts (held notes at the end of songs), particularly in their adaptation of the song Be Our Guest and in Clay Hine's arrangement of Auld Lang Syne, which is on Platinum's CD of the same name.

Connelly and DeRosa were also members of the 1992 international champion quartet Keepsake. Connelly won gold in 1987 with the quartet Interstate Rivals and again in 2011 with the quartet Old School. DeRosa and Lewis are the lead and baritone of the 2007 Champions, MaxQ. Kevin Miles has been a member of The Dapper Dans of Harmony and has served as the Voice of Epcot Center, both at Walt Disney World.

Platinum was notable for scoring the most points for a single song in the history of the contest with their rendition of Cuddle Up A Little Closer, Lovey Mine, in which they scored 1438 points out of a possible 1500.

Platinum is an American television series which aired on UPN in 2003. Written by John Ridley and Sofia Coppola, the series is a family saga that follows two brothers who own and operate a record company.

Platinum is the 17th album released by the jazz fusion group Casiopea in 1987. The album featured a cover of "Bridge Over Troubled Water"--a song originally written by Paul Simon.

Platinum is a color that is the metallic tint of pale grayish-white resembling the metal platinum.

The first recorded use of platinum as a color name in English was in 1918.

Platinum is a song by American rapper Snoop Dogg, released as the third promotional single from his eleventh studio album Doggumentary. The song features guest vocals from R&B singer R. Kelly, and is produced by American producer Lex Luger.

Platinum is the title of the third studio album recorded, but only the second to be released, by American country music artist Dean Miller. It was released in 2005 on Koch Records. It followed an unreleased second album, Just Me, which he recorded in 2002 for Universal South Records. Platinum produced only one non-charting single prior to the closure of Koch's country division. "I've Been a Long Time Leaving" was written by Miller's father, Roger Miller, and previously recorded by Waylon Jennings on his album Dreaming My Dreams. The track "Right Now" was previously recorded by the short-lived band Rushlow on their 2003 album of the same name.

Platinum is the 2011 Owl Studios debut from legendary Jazz/Funk group The Headhunters. The album follows The Headhunters' tendency to blend genres and instrumentation, deftly moving from Jazz to Hip Hop to R&B and back again throughout each track and the series of interludes and segues which joins them together.

The album is in part a response to The Headhunters immense influence on Hip Hop through the sampling of The Headhunters track God Made Me Funky off of Survival of the Fittest, which has been sampled by everyone from Eric B. and Rakim to De La Soul to Mobb Deep to the Fugees and Prince, among others. With Platinum, The Headhunters embraced this influence through their inclusion of Hip Hop and Funk artists such as Snoop Dogg, George Clinton, Killah Priest, and Jaecyn Bayne.

Platinum is the fifth studio album by American country recording artist Miranda Lambert, released on June 3, 2014, by RCA Nashville. Lambert wrote or co-wrote eight of the album's 16 tracks while working with a host of session musicians and songwriters, as well as guest performers Little Big Town, The Time Jumpers, and Carrie Underwood. The album was produced by Frank Liddell, Chuck Ainlay, and Glenn Worf.

Platnium debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming Lambert's first to top the chart, while selling 180,000 copies in its first week. It received widespread critical acclaim and earned Lambert a Grammy Award for Best Country Album and a CMA Award in the same category. The album was certified platinum for sales of one million copies in the United States.