Name       : Rubidium
Symbol     : Rb
Atomic #   : 37
Atom weight: 85.468
Melting P. : 38.89
Boiling P. : 686
Oxidation  : +1
Pronounced : roo-BID-i-em
From       : Latin rubidus, "deep red"
Identified : Robert Bunsen and Gustav Kirchhoff in 1861
Appearance : Soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal
Note       : Used to the manufacture of vacuum and cathode-ray tubes
             
[Properties]

  Rubidium belongs to the family of alkali metals in Group IA of the 
periodic table. As a member of this group, it is highly reactive, it cannot
exist in its elemental state in nature because it reacts with ordinary air
and moisture to produce compounds. Rubidium is so reactive, in fact, that
it undergoes spontaneous combustion when exposed to air at room temperature,
forming a mixture of its oxides. It also reacts violently with water, 
producing rubidium hydroxide and liberating hydrogen gas that is immediately
ignited by the heat of the reaction. The pure metal has to be stored and
transported in containers of kerosene or nitrogen gas, or in a vacuum bottle.
  Rubidium is a very soft, silvery-white metal. Its compounds produce a 
yellow-violet color with subjected to a flame test.
  Because rubidium was considered a very rare element until recently, its
properties are not as well documented as those of the lighter alkali metals.