19 Scientists Reveal Their Favorite Elements

To celebrate National Chemistry Week, which runs from Oct. 20-26, we asked a bunch of scientists, with help from the American Chemical Society, what their favorite periodic element is, and why.

A chemical element is a material that cannot be broken down or changed into a simpler substance (without the help of an atom-smasher, that is). Elements are the building blocks of all matter - everything we feel, smell, and see - and combine to make all molecules.

The modern periodic table arranges all known chemical elements in order of their atomic number, which refers to the number of protons in that element. The number of protons in an atom determines the chemical behavior of the element.

So what's the fairest element of them all? See what the experts had to say.