School Park (3:15PM May 21st 2017)

"Hey Timmy, may I ask what that 'gadget' of yours is?" She urged.

"Of course! It's a fidget spinner which is designed to help people with stress, it's made of a combination of materials such as brass, stainless steel, ceramic, titanium, copper, plastic and latex." Timmy responded.

"That's interesting, so what is brass exactly?" Michelle sought.

Michelle was heading home until she stumbled across a familiar classmate, Timmy. They gave a waving gesture and politely greeted each other. Michelle took notice of the object Timmy was holding and was curious.

"I'm glad you asked, brass is an alloy of zinc and copper which is used in different designs of fidget spinners to improve its grip and appearance.

Zinc is a chemical element from the periodic table which has the atomic number 30 and the symbol 'Zn'.

This mineral possesses a blue-silvery appearance and is found in foods, cosmetics, automobiles, etc." Timmy described.

"Incredible! So that's why Mr. Tzotzis refer to you as a nerd, well, I have to head home Timmy." She replied.

"Hold on a second, there's so much more information I want to share with you." Timmy interrupted.

"Well, in that case, you can come to my place so we can discuss more." Michelle proposed.

Michelle's house (3:30PM May 21st 2017)

"Continue what you were saying about the mineral zinc." Michelle spoke.

"No problem. The mineral zinc is mined throughout several Canadian provinces such as Manitoba, Quebec, Ontario, and New Brunswick.

Mining companies include Teck Cominco, Norando Inc, Agnico-Eagle Mines, Hudson Bay Mining and Boliden AB.

Furthermore, according to Natural Resources Canada, Canada was ranked 9th in zinc production producing 286 thousand tonnes of zinc in the year 2018." Timmy replied.

"The fact Canada ranks 9th on an international scale for zinc production must mean that zinc is a very important mineral." Michelle figured.

"Correct, though we'll get into that later. Zinc is extracted through open-pit mining and the use of durable & compact mining equipment.

Zinc processing takes place primarily underground. Once the mineral has reached the Earth's surface, it is roasted at 950° causing zinc and sulfur oxidation which is then reduced to powder form." Timmy explained.

"I understand now. Do you know other products that have zinc in them besides fidget spinners?" Michelle asked.

"A lot of products. Powders, metal coatings, medication, pigments, makeup, and skincare products—just to name a few." Timmy listed.

"Wow, I never knew that the makeup I put on every day has zinc in it too." Michelle exclaimed.

"Indeed, however, this mineral isn't just used for your everyday makeup products.

According to MedlinePlus, zinc is an important mineral that people need to stay healthy and it is needed for the body's defensive (immune) system to properly work." Timmy revealed.

"You're saying that humans rely on zinc more than just the idea of using it in products?" Michelle questioned.

"That's right! Zinc is second only to iron in its concentration in humans, it is found in our cells throughout our bodies and those cells require zinc to multiply and develop.

Not only that, zinc plays a vital role in stimulating growth, fighting off infections, wound healing and treatment of diseases including bacterial and viral infections.