Here is the Element Quiz Question:

The Question:
This element is never found in nature as a free element. It was discovered
in the 1880s but was not isolated as a pure element until the 1950s. It is
a key constituent of an alloy developed in the 1970s by the
Naval Ordnance Laboratory. Due to the use of this element, the Ames
Laboratory at Iowa State University played a significant role in creating a
methodology for manufacturing the alloy. Because of this element, the alloy
has the highest magnetostriction of any alloy, up to 0.002 m/m at
saturation; it expands and contracts in a magnetic field. The
initial application of this alloy was in naval sonar systems. Which element
is being described?

The Answer:
The element is Dysprosium (Dy)! Dysprosium was identified in 1886 but was
not produced as a pure element until the 1950s using ion exchange
techniques developed by the Ames Laboratory at Iowa State University.
Dysprosium is a key element in Terfernol-D, an alloy developed by the Naval
Ordnance Laboratory which found significant applications in
magneto-mechanical sensors, actuators and acoustic /ultrasonic transducers.

Actually, Terbium is also an acceptable answer which Leland was the first
one to submit that response. David Bealer was the first to submit
Dysprosium. Scott Decker would have been the first Dysprosium response but
instead submitted a response of Terfernol-D which isn't the element but is
the correct alloy described in the clues. Sorry Scott!


The winners of the quiz  are Leland Woodall  and David Bealer, SMT,  and
they will get the services of Clumpy and Kloumpios for the week.

So far Clumpy and Kloumpios have done the following:

Past Quiz winners/tasks:
Week 1 Ravinder Ajmani, Western Digital
Week 1 Ron Feyereisen, SigmaTron Intl.
Week 2 Louis Hart, Compunetics
Week 3 Mark Kostinovsky, Schlumberger Ltd.
Week 3 John Burke

Week 4 Drew Meyer, Benchmark Electronics
- Drew gave the boys the week off and recommended they head over to Greece
and/or Cyprus for some R&R.

Week 5 No Winner - no correct responses!
- assisted with ????

Week 6 Bhanu Sood, NASA
- assisted with ????

Week 7 Keith Calhoun, Sopark Corp
- assisted with ????

Week 7 Ian Fox, Rolls Royce
- I have a bunch of jobs lined up commissioning our brand new lab in our
new swanky factory.  Who have I got so I can get security clearance?

Week 8 Leland Woodall
- assisted with ???

Week 8 David Bealer, SMT
- assisted with ???

I hope everyone has a awesome week!

Dave Hillman
Rockwell Collins
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