41Nb92.906
Transition Metald-block
Niobium
Element 41 on the periodic table, symbol Nb, group 5, period 5.
Niobium, formerly columbium, is a chemical element with symbol Nb (formerly Cb) and atomic number 41. It is a soft, grey, ductile transition metal, which is often found in the pyrochlore mineral, the main commercial source for niobium, and columbite. The name comes from Greek mythology: Niobe, daughter of Tantalus since it is so similar to tantalum.
Appearance: gray metallic, bluish when oxidized
Properties
- Atomic Number
- 41
- Atomic Mass
- 92.9064 u
- Group
- 5
- Period
- 5
- Block
- d-block
- Category
- Transition Metal
- State at 25 °C
- Solid
- Melting Point
- 2,750 K · 2,476.9 °C
- Boiling Point
- 5,017 K · 4,743.9 °C
- Density
- 8.57 g/cm³
- Atomic Radius
- 145 pm
- Electronegativity
- 1.6
- Oxidation States
- +5
- Abundance in Crust
- 20 mg/kg
- Discovered
- 1801
- Discovered By
- Charles Hatchett
Electron Configuration
[Kr] 4d4 5s1
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10 4p6 5s1 4d4
Ionisation Energies (kJ/mol)
- 1. 652.1
- 2. 1,380
- 3. 2,416
- 4. 3,700
- 5. 4,877
- 6. 9,847
- 7. 12,100
Elements near Niobium
Elements in the same group share the number of outer electrons and behave in similar ways. Elements in the same period share a shell, so they change steadily from left to right.