Bromine (from Ancient Greek:βρῶμος, brómos, meaning "stench") is a chemical element with symbol Br, and atomic number 35. It is a halogen. The element was isolated independently by two chemists, Carl Jacob Löwig and Antoine Jerome Balard, in 1825–1826.
Three reasons Bromine stands out
- 1
Used in flame retardants and hot tubs.
- 2
It is one of only two elements that exist as a liquid at room temperature, the other being mercury.
- 3
Light-sensitive silver bromide crystals are the key ingredient that makes traditional photographic film work.
The only liquid nonmetal
Bromine is a fuming red-brown liquid at room temperature, its molecules volatile enough to fill the space above it with corrosive vapor. Bromide compounds occur throughout seawater. Photography, flame retardants, drilling fluids, and medicines have all drawn on bromine chemistry, sometimes with environmental costs.