Platinum Element Cube

Platinum's atomic number is 78 and its symbol is Pt. Platinum has been a household name since the 18th century. This expensive and precious metal gets its name from a Spanish term meaning "little silver". When platinum was first discovered intermingled with gold it was seen as an impurity that was annoying and therefore just thrown away. Now, as I write this in the spring of 2021, an ounce of platinum is worth $1,263 USD. 80% of all platinum mined in the world comes from South Africa. Its most common uses are to make catalytic converters, jewelry, and petroleum products.