The Krotons - need advice on tellurium

[misterharry]

I'm considering doing something with the Krotons and want to do a write-up for them that expands on what we saw in the TV story, probably including elements from Lawrence Miles' novel, Alien Bodies.

As I understand it, Krotons are a tellurium-based lifeform, so I was thinking of introducing a weakness against chemical attacks. But I'm no chemist and although I've had a look at Wikipedia, I've no idea how active or inert an element tellurium actually is, or what sort or chemicals would affect it. In the TV episodes, the Doctor uses sulphuric acid to destroy the Krotons and their ship - would this be specific to sulphuric acid, for example, or would other acids have the same effect?

Any advice? Thanks in advance!

[knasser]

Oct 25, 2010 12:19:33 GMT misterharry said:

I'm considering doing something with the Krotons and want to do a write-up for them that expands on what we saw in the TV story, probably including elements from Lawrence Miles' novel, Alien Bodies.

As I understand it, Krotons are a tellurium-based lifeform, so I was thinking of introducing a weakness against chemical attacks. But I'm no chemist and although I've had a look at Wikipedia, I've no idea how active or inert an element tellurium actually is, or what sort or chemicals would affect it. In the TV episodes, the Doctor uses sulphuric acid to destroy the Krotons and their ship - would this be specific to sulphuric acid, for example, or would other acids have the same effect?

Any advice? Thanks in advance!

I'm not a chemist. I know a little. I welcome corrections or elaborations from those with more knowledge. I'm writing in an attempt to be helpful.

First thing to mention isn't chemistry, but Who trivia. In The Krotons, the Second Doctor originally refers to the mixture as Sulphuric Acid but Zoe asks the Doctor suspiciously whether it was just Sulphuric Acid to which the Doctor cryptically replies that he may have added a little something. I wanted to add that as a caveat to begin with.

Anyway, you asked if Tellurium would react to just sulphuric acid or to any acid. The answer is a bit of both. It depends of course what the Tellurium is combined with, if it's pure Tellurium (which is quite soft and brittle so probably not), but anyway... Sulphuric Acid is a "mineral acid". That includes things like Nitric acid, Hydrochloric... but excludes things like Acetic acid. So Krotons and Raxacoricofallapatorians can have a nice old water fight without killing themselves. I would guess that any compounds of Tellurium that were susceptible to Sulphuric Acid would be susceptible to any other mineral acid, but Sulfer and Tellurium are in the same group in the periodic table meaning they share a lot of properties. And if I remember correctly, Sulfer is more reactive than Tellurium meaning to say that in a fight over an element to bond with, Sulfer beats Tellurium. I.e. freely given sulpher (as you would get in Sulphuric Acid) could have a pretty bad effect on a Tellurium based compound.

Now if there's not enough misused terminology and badly remembered science in that to give a chemistry teacher forty fits, I'd be surprised. But I think that's generally right. So the summary version would be, all mineral acids are probably a bit harmful at sufficient concentrations, but yes, sulphuric acid probably is a special bad.

The Krotons episode came from a time where more of the audience probably had a bit of knowledge about these things and could appreciate the Doctor's cleverness in tossing in a bit of border-science. Of course that same level of knowledge prompts them to throw in the "maybe there's a little more in the mix" comment near the end just to leave some wiggle room and add to the Doctor's sly brilliance.

Anyway, I hope that helps. I'd say a Weakness (Minor or Major) to Sulphuric Acid is justified. Certainly there's more science behind it than Slytheen being melted by half a bottle of Sarson's Malt Vinegar. Two at least had the decency to make a big batch of very concentrated acid to achieve the effect on the Krotons that he did.

[Curufea]

My two cents: you also get a faster reaction when acids are hot.

[misterharry]

Thanks for the advice - appreciated!

[knasser]

Oct 25, 2010 19:40:50 GMT Curufea said:

My two cents: you also get a faster reaction when acids are hot.

But be very careful. An acid is still an acid even when it's been heated to gaseous form. A cloud of sulphuric acid is not not not something you want to walk through and definitely not something you want to inhale!