Iodine
Properties
| Atomic Number | 53 |
| CAS Registry Number | 7553-56-2 |
| Chemical Symbol | I |
History
The atomic number is 53 and the chemical symbol is I. The name derives from the Greek ioeides for violet colored because of its violet vapors. It was discovered in sea weed ash (kelp) by the French chemist Bernard Courtois in 1811. It was named iodine by the English chemist Humphry Davy in December 1813 and subsequently was named iode by the French chemist Louis-Joseph Gay-Lussac when he proved it was an element in 1814. Dispite the priority rights dispute between Davy and Gay-Lussac both acknowledged Courtois as the discoverer of the element.Holden, Norman E., (2004). History of the origin of the chemical elements and their discoverers. National Nuclear Data Center. Retrieved from http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/content/elements.html