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Periodic Table of Nottingham
Cr

Chromium

Nottingham element: Cheese Riot

On 2 October 1766 the Great Cheese Riot of Nottingham began during Goose Fair.

Angry at the excessive price of cheese, a mob formed who seized it and began wheeling or carrying the cheeses away. The mayor attempted to restore order but was knocked down by a cheese. Two or three of the crowd were arrested, so then the crowd attacked the building housing them until they were released.

The army arrived the next day, but rioting and expropriations continued and were only put down the day after that.

Scientific element: Chromium

Chromium is a hard, lustrous, steel-gray metal. Chromium may be highly polished. Like many transition metals, it has a high melting point (1907 degrees C, 3465 degrees F) and high boiling point (2671 degrees C, 4840 degrees F).

About 75 percent to 85 percent of the chromium that is commercially produced is used to make alloys, such as stainless steel. Most of the remaining chromium is used in the chemical industry and in foundries and refractories.

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