Name: zinc
Symbol: Zn
Atomic number: 30
Atomic weight: 65.39 (2) g
Group in periodic table: 12
Group name:
Period in periodic table: 4
Block in periodic table: d-block
CAS registry ID: 7440-66-6
Zinc is a bluish-white, lustrous metal. It is brittle at ambient temperatures but is malleable at 100 to 150°C. It is a reasonable conductor of electricity, and burns in air at high red heat with evolution of white clouds of the oxide.
Zinc-deficient animals require 50% more food to gain the same weight of an animal supplied with adequate amounts of zinc. Zinc is not particularly toxic and is an essential element in the growth of all animals and plants.
Plating thin layers of zinc on to iron or steel is known as galvanising and helps to protect the iron from corrosion.