Element Family
Alkali
Transition Metal
Space Group Name
Im_ 3m
R_ 3m
Interesting Facts
- Rubidium metal is 16th most common element found in the earth crust.
- Rubidium metal also found in minerals as well as seawater.
- At room temperature mercury is found in a liquid state.
- A coin of pound or rupees floats in mercury.
- Because of its low melting point and boiling point it is used in thermometers.
Sources
Obtained from Lithium Production.
Mining, Ores of Minerals
Who Discovered
Robert Bunsen and Gustav Kirchhoff
Ancient Chinese and Indians
Discovery
In 1861
Before 2000 BCE
Abundance In Earth's Crust
Uses & Benefits
- Rubidium's main application is in the glass manufacturing.
- Rubidium can very easily get ionized and hence it is used for ion engines, but it is still less efficient than that of Caesium.
- It is a liquid metal at room temperature, but it is a toxic heavy metal and hence many uses of mercury are under review or phased out.
- It is manly used as a catalysts in chemical industry.
Industrial Uses
-
Electrical Industry, Electronic Industry
Other Uses
Alloys, Research Purposes
Alloys, Mirror Manufacturing, Pharmaceutical Industry
Toxicity
Non Toxic
Highly Toxic
Present in Human Body
Yes
Yes
Physical State
Solid
Liquid
Color
Grayish White
Silver
Pauling Electronegativity
Sanderson Electronegativity
Allred Rochow Electronegativity
Mulliken-Jaffe Electronegativity
Pauling Electropositivity
Electrochemical Equivalent
Other Chemical Properties
Corrosion, Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Radioactivity
Flammability, Ionization, Solubility
Electron Configuration
[Kr] 5s1
[Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2
Crystal Structure
Body Centered Cubic (BCC)
Rhombohedral (RHO)
Crystal Lattice
BCC-Crystal-Structure-.jpg#100
RHO-Crystal-Structure-of-Mercury.jpg#100
Valence Electron Potential
Lattice Angles
π/2, π/2, π/2
-
Density At Room Temperature
Density When Liquid (at m.p.)
Other Mechanical Properties
Ductile
-
Magnetic Ordering
Paramagnetic
Diamagnetic
Electrical Property
Conductor
Conductor