Osmium: historical information

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Osmium was discovered by Smithson Tennant at 1803 in England. Origin of name: from the Greek word "osme" meaning "smell"

Osmium was discovered in 1803 by Smithson Tennant in the dark coloured residue left when crude platinum is dissolved by aqua regia (a mixture of hydrochloric and nitric acid). This dark residue contains both osmium (named after osme meaning odour) and iridium.

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osmium atomic number