Cadmium

(kad'me-um.) (Chem.) Asoft white metal, with a slight bluish color, a ociated in nature with zinc, discovered independently by Stromeyer and Hermann. It is susceptible of a high polish, but tarnishes after a short time. It is highly crystalline, and when bent, cracks like tin. It is very malleable and ductile; fuses below redne , and volatilizes below the boiling point of mercury. It is readily soluble in dilute acids, and forms well-defined salts. At. weight,56; symbol Cd. [s. 128]