Indium is a metal element denoted by the atomic symbol In. Its atomic number is 49 and its atomic weight is 114.82. It has a melting point of 313.9°F (156.6°C) and a boiling point of 3,761.6°F (2,072°C). Indium does not occur in an elemental state in nature, but its sulfide is a common impurity in ores of zinc and lead. The element is a very lustrous, silvery metal that bends easily.

The development of spectroscopic analysis by Gustav Kirchhoffand Robert Bunsen in 1859 rapidly lead to the discovery of four new elements, cesium, rubidium, thallium, and indium. The last of these was found by Ferdinand Reich (1799-1882) and Hieronymus Theodor Richter (1824-1898) in 1863.

Reich was born in Bernburg, Germany, on February 19, 1799. He was educated in chemistry and mineralogy at Leipzig, Freiberg, Göttingen, and Paris. He was associated with the Freiberg School of Mines for more...