Manganese

Manganese, chemical element, symbol Mn; for physical constants see Periodic Table. Manganese was discovered by J.G. Gahn in 1774. It is a steel-gray, hard, brittle, reactive, metal. The element forms many important alloys with steel, as well as with aluminum, ferromagnetic alloys, antimony, and copper. It is an essential trace element in humans and animals. Manganese and its compounds are used in dry cell batteries, paint dryers, as an oxidizing agent, and in medicine.