Bismuth
White crystalline metal with a pink tinge, belongs to group 15. Most diamagnetic of all metals and has the lowest thermal conductivity of all the elements except mercury. Lead-free bismuth compounds are used in cosmetics and medical procedures. Burns in the air and produces a blue flame. In 1753, C.G. Junine first demonstrated that it was different from lead.
Gallery
Jurii, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons, source: https://images-of-elements.com/bismuth.php
Physical Propertiesmass · density · phase · crystal
Atomic Mass
208.9804Da
Density
9.7900g/cm³
Phase (STP)
Solid
Melting Point
544.6K
Boiling Point
1837.2K
Molar Heat
0.1220J/(mol·K)
Crystal Structure
RHL
Lattice Constant
4.750Å
Atomic Radiiatomic · covalent · van der Waals
Atomic (Empirical)
160.00pm
Covalent
151.00pm
Van der Waals
207.00pm
Electronic Propertieselectronegativity · ionization · affinity
Electron Configuration
[Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p3
Electron Shells
2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 5
Electronegativity
1.90Pauling
Electron Affinity
0.9kJ/mol
1st Ionization Energy
7.3kJ/mol
Oxidation States
-3, +3, +5
Orbital DiagramAufbau · Hund's rule · Pauli exclusion
Full: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p3Short: [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p3
Ionization Energies (83 known)
Emission Spectrumvisible range · characteristic spectral lines
Abundanceby mass
Log scale · ppm = parts per million by mass
Biological Role
Low toxicity for a heavy metal. Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) treats digestive issues.
Discovery
Discovered By
Known to the ancients.
Named By
—
Year
—
Nuclear Data
Known Isotopes
41
Stable Isotopes
0
Stable Mass Numbers
None
Natural isotopic abundance (IUPAC recommended values)
Isotopes of Bi41 known
| Nuclide | Z | N | Mass (AMU) | Half-life | Decay | Jπ | Abundance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 184Bi | 83 | 101 | 184.001347 | 6.60 ms | α (1%) | 3+ | — |
| 185Bi | 83 | 102 | 184.997600 | Unknown | p, α | 9/2- | — |
| 186Bi | 83 | 103 | 185.996623 | 14.8 ms | α (1%), β⁺, β⁺SF (0.00010999999999999999%) | 3+ | — |
| 209Bi | 83 | 126 | 208.980399 | 20100000000 Gy | α (1%) | 9/2- | 10000.0000% |
| 222Bi | 83 | 139 | 222.031079 | Unknown | β⁻, β⁻n | 1- | — |
| 223Bi | 83 | 140 | 223.034611 | Unknown | β⁻, β⁻n | 9/2- | — |
| 224Bi | 83 | 141 | 224.039796 | Unknown | β⁻, β⁻n | 1- | — |