Name       : Iodine
Symbol     : I
Atomic #   : 53
Atom weight: 126.904
Melting P. : 113.5
Boiling P. : 184.35
Oxidation  : +1, -1, +5, +7
Pronounced : EYE-eh-dine or EYE-eh-din
From       : Greek ioeides, "violet colored"
Identified : Bernard Courtois in 1811
Appearance : Shiny, black nonmetallic solid
Note       : The human thyroid gland secretes an iodine-bearing hormone
             called thyroxin.
             
[Properties]

  Iodine appears near the end of the Group-VIIA elements, or halogens:
fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), iodine (I), and astatine (At).
Iodine is the heaviest of the group to occur in nature (the heaviest
halide, astatine, is a synthetic element).
  Iodine tends to form a diatomic molecule. The black solid sublimes at
room temperature, producing a violet gas that is intensely irritating to
the eyes, nose, and throat.
