barium

Everyday

1. A soft, silvery chemical element, a metal, with the symbol Ba and atomic number 56. tree →
2. A white drink with a barium compound that patients swallow so their stomach shows up on an X-ray (a barium meal). tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons, barium is in the periodic table and is used in fireworks to make green colours. In hospitals, doctors use a barium meal or swallow to see the gut on X-rays.

Examples

• Barium makes fireworks glow green. tree →
• The symbol for barium is Ba. tree →
• My granddad had to drink barium before his X-ray. tree →
• Barium is a metal in the periodic table. tree →
• Pure barium reacts with water. tree →
• Barium shows up white on an X-ray. tree →

Note

Uncountable. Symbol Ba (capital B, small a). Many barium compounds are poisonous, but the one used in hospitals is safe because it does not dissolve.