Molybdenum is a chemical element; it has symbol Mo (from Neo-Latin molybdaenum) and atomic number 42. The name derived from Ancient Greek Μόλυβδος molybdos, meaning lead, since its ores were confused with lead ores. … 展开

Molybdenum forms chemical compounds in oxidation states −4 and from −2 to +6. Higher oxidation states are more relevant to its terrestrial occurrence … 展开

Molybdenum is the 54th most abundant element in the Earth's crust with an average of 1.5 parts per million and the 25th most abundant element in the oceans, with an average … 展开

Mo-containing enzymes
Molybdenum is an essential element in most organisms; a 2008 research paper speculated that a scarcity … 展开

Physical properties
In its pure form, molybdenum is a silvery-grey metal with a Mohs hardness of 5.5 and a standard atomic … 展开

Molybdenite—the principal ore from which molybdenum is now extracted—was previously known as molybdena. Molybdena was confused with and often utilized as though it were 展开

Alloys
About 86% of molybdenum produced is used in metallurgy, with the rest used in chemical applications. The … 展开