Discovered : by P.E. Lecoq de Boisbaudran in 1875 Isolated in Paris, France Origin : The name is derived from 'Gallia', the Latin name for France. Description : This was predicted to exist by the Russian chemist Dimitri Mendeleev because his periodic table of the elements had a gap below aluminium. He also forecast (correctly) some of the properties of the element, such as density. Gallium is a soft, silvery metal like aluminium and is used to make semi-conductors (gallium arsenide) and microwave equipment. Image : Cockerel.