Name       : Tellurium
Symbol     : Te
Atomic #   : 52
Atom weight: 127.60
Melting P. : 449.5
Boiling P. : 4877
Oxidation  : -2, +4, +6
Pronounced : te-LOOR-i-em
From       : Latin tellus, "earth"
Identified : Franz Joseph Muller von Reichenstein in 1782
Appearance : Silvery-white, brittle semimetal
Note       : A relatively rare element
            
[Properties]

  Tellurium is usually described as a silvery-white, brittle crystal.
Tellurium belongs to the carbon group of elements, Group VIA, on the
periodic table.
  Tellurium is a semimetal, sharing properties with metals and nonmetals.
(Semimetals are also called metalloids). In its purest state, for example,
tellurium has a metallic luster; but like a nonmetal, it is easily
pulverized to a powder.
  Tellurium is not affected by nitric acid, but it combines readily with
nitric acid to produce tellurous acid. It burns easily in air to produce
the oxide.