Hey there, tech enthusiasts! Have you ever wondered what makes your smartphone tick? Let’s dive into the fascinating world of smartphone technology and discover the elements that power these incredible devices.
In today’s world, technology connects us all. By 2016, around 44% of the world’s population was using the internet, and 54% owned smartphones. These devices are not just gadgets; they’re gateways to a digital universe.
Smartphones are marvels of modern engineering. Did you know that an iPhone contains about 75 of the 118 elements found on the periodic table? That’s a lot of elements packed into a small device! For comparison, life itself only requires about 30 elements to exist.
Some elements in smartphones are quite common. Silicon, for instance, is used to create transistors, the tiny switches that power microchips. The screen’s reinforced glass is made from aluminum, silicon, potassium, and oxygen. Lithium powers the battery, and carbon is present because it’s found in almost everything.
However, not all elements are easy to come by. Gold and tin, used in electronics wiring and soldering, are relatively rare. Unfortunately, mining these elements can involve working with countries that have poor environmental and human rights records. These are known as “conflict minerals.” Companies like Apple are striving to source these materials more responsibly.
Rare-earth metals, despite their name, are not actually rare. They’re just scattered in small amounts around the world and are difficult to mine. These elements, like yttrium, terbium, europium, and gadolinium, are crucial for electronics. In smartphones, they help screens display vibrant colors, make vibrating units work, and produce sound in speakers.
Currently, over 90% of rare-earth metals are mined in China, where environmental regulations are often lax. This has led to significant environmental concerns, including radioactive waste affecting nearby communities.
Why don’t companies just use different materials? A study from Yale University found that many of the 62 metals used in electronics have no functional substitutes. This means we’re likely to continue using these elements for the foreseeable future. Companies are working hard to source materials responsibly, but the reality is that these elements come from all over the globe.
All these metals and minerals are nonrenewable resources. Once they’re depleted, the electronics industry will face significant changes. It’s crucial to consider how we use and recycle these materials to ensure a sustainable future.
So, next time you use your smartphone, remember the incredible journey of elements that make it possible. If you’re curious about other electronics or have questions, feel free to ask. Stay tuned for more exciting tech insights!
Explore your surroundings and identify everyday items that contain elements found in smartphones. Create a list and share your findings with the class. This will help you understand the prevalence of these elements in daily life.
Work in groups to create a puzzle using the periodic table. Each piece should represent an element used in smartphones. Assemble the puzzle and discuss the role of each element in smartphone technology.
Participate in a class debate about the ethical implications of using conflict minerals in smartphones. Research the topic and present arguments for and against their use, considering environmental and human rights issues.
Imagine you are a tech designer tasked with creating a sustainable smartphone. Consider alternative materials and recycling methods. Present your design and explain how it addresses environmental concerns.
Choose a rare-earth metal used in smartphones and research its properties, uses, and mining impact. Create a presentation to educate your classmates about the importance and challenges of sourcing this element.
Here’s a sanitized version of the YouTube transcript:
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Ahh, I broke my phone screen. Hey, does anyone have any tape?
Hey all you screen time enthusiasts, Trace here for DNews. For futurists, technology is the great unifier, and the internet democratizes communication for all of humanity! The statistics organization IDC estimates that 44 percent of the planet was on the internet in 2016, and according to Pew Research, globally 54 percent own smartphones.
But creating devices to access this future world of technology involves extracting many minerals from our current environment. It’s probably no surprise to learn that the modern smartphone is an incredibly complex little rectangle. Inside an iPhone, for example, you can find about 75 of the 118 elements on the periodic table. That’s most of the elements. For comparison, life needs only about 30 elements to… well, be alive.
Admittedly, many of the iPhone’s elements are common enough: silicon is used to make transistors, those tiny on-off switches that form the basis of microchips. Aluminum, silicon, potassium, and oxygen all go into the reinforced glass that covers every screen. Lithium powers an iPhone’s battery, as it does in many other devices. And there’s some carbon in there because, well, there’s carbon in almost everything. None of that is particularly controversial… the trickier smartphone elements are the ones that are either rare, or hard to harvest, or both.
Gold and tin, for example, are used in electronics wiring… gold is an excellent conductor, and tin is a critical part of the soldering process. Both are relatively rare elements, which can mean that companies end up doing business with mining outfits in countries with poor environmental and human rights records. This is why minerals like gold, tin, and tantalum are considered “conflict minerals.” Apple, to its credit, is working hard to source its minerals from less exploitative places.
And then there are the so-called “rare-earth metals,” a group of elements that are not actually all that rare… they’re just spread around the world in small pockets and are notoriously difficult to mine. They also happen to be crucial to most electronics… these are elements like yttrium, terbium, europium, or gadolinium. In iPhones, they help screens display colors, vibrating units vibrate, and speakers produce sound.
Once again, supply is an issue here: today more than 90% of rare earth metals are mined in China, and the impact of those operations is concerning. China’s lax environmental laws have caused millions of residents living near mines to be threatened by radioactive waste and other by-products of mineral production.
So why do companies continue to use these problematic elements? Why not find an alternative? Well, they might not have much of a choice. A study at Yale University looked at all 62 metals used in the electronics industry and found that many simply had no functional substitutes. This means we’re probably stuck with them. And also means that companies can work hard to source materials as responsibly as possible, but at the end of the day, those elements that make up an iPhone are going to come from all over the world.
The final wrinkle here, of course, is that all of these metals and minerals are nonrenewable resources… and when they’re gone, that electronics industry is going to look very different.
So if there are all these rare minerals in your phone… why does the battery still have issues? We explain why, here. Are there any other electronics or items you want to know about? Let us know in the comments, please subscribe so you get more DNews, and come back every day.
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This version removes any informal language and maintains a professional tone while preserving the core information.
Elements – Substances that consist of only one type of atom and cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means. – The periodic table organizes all known elements based on their atomic number and properties.
Technology – The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry. – Advances in technology have significantly improved our ability to monitor environmental changes.
Smartphones – Portable devices that combine mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. – Smartphones have become essential tools for collecting and analyzing environmental data in real-time.
Silicon – A chemical element with symbol Si, used as a semiconductor in electronic devices. – Silicon is a crucial component in the production of solar panels, which help harness renewable energy.
Lithium – A soft, silvery-white metal that is the lightest solid element, used in rechargeable batteries. – Lithium-ion batteries are commonly used in electric vehicles to reduce carbon emissions.
Gold – A precious yellow metal, highly valued for its rarity and used in electronics for its excellent conductivity. – Gold is used in the connectors of electronic devices due to its resistance to corrosion.
Mining – The process of extracting valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth. – Mining activities can have significant environmental impacts, including habitat destruction and pollution.
Metals – Elements that are typically hard, shiny, and good conductors of electricity and heat. – Metals like copper and aluminum are essential for building electrical infrastructure.
Resources – Natural materials that can be used by humans for various purposes, such as minerals, water, and forests. – Sustainable management of resources is crucial to ensure their availability for future generations.
Environment – The natural world, including the air, water, and land in which people, animals, and plants live. – Protecting the environment is essential for maintaining biodiversity and human health.
