Gallium Element Cube

Gallium's atomic number is 31 and its symbol is Ga. Gallium has a melting point of 29.76 °C or 85.57 °F. This means that under the right circumstances you could melt the metal within this display cube and watch it slosh around within the cube. Because of its low melting point, it is used as an environmentally friendly alternative to mercury in thermometers. Gallium is also used to make metals with low melting points that can be used as a semiconductor. Gallium attacks most other metals by diffusing into the grain of the metal and spreading throughout the entire piece making it extremely brittle. This is why Gallium is not allowed in carry-on bags on a plane. If some of the liquid gallium made its way to the plane's metal structure, it would make a large portion extremely fragile. The gallium in this display is held within a glass ampule to prevent it from seeping into the acrylic during the hot casting process. This makes for an interesting mirror-like ampule that looks fantastic.