Periodic Table Español

Barium (Ba)

Barium is an alkaline earth metal with atomic number 56, in period 6 and group 2 of the periodic table. Its atomic mass is 137.327 u and its electron configuration is [Xe] 6s². Solid at 25 °C.

Key facts

Atomic number56
Atomic mass137.327 u
CategoryAlkaline Earth Metal
Period6
Group2
Blocks
Electron configuration[Xe] 6s²
Electrons per shell2, 8, 18, 18, 8, 2
Electronegativity (Pauling)0.89
Oxidation states+1, +2common in bold
State at 25 °CSolid
Melting point1000 K726.85 °C
Boiling point2170 K1896.85 °C
Density3.62 g/cm³

Atomic properties

First ionization energy5.212 eV
Electron affinity13.95 kJ/mol
Atomic radius222 pm
Covalent radius215 pm
Van der Waals radius268 pm
Common ionsBa²⁺
Protons, neutrons, electrons56, 81, 56

Physical and thermal properties

Molar volume38.16 cm³/mol
Heat of fusion8 kJ/mol
Heat of vaporization140 kJ/mol
Specific heat205 J/(kg·K)
Thermal conductivity18 W/(m·K)
Thermal expansion2.06 × 10⁻⁵ K⁻¹
Mohs hardness1.25
Young’s modulus13 GPa
Crystal structureBody-centered cubic
Magnetic typeParamagnetic

Identification and history

CAS number7440-39-3
Latin nameBarium
Discovered byCarl Wilhelm Scheele · 1772
Named by---

Natural isotopes

IsotopeMass (u)Abundance
130Ba129.9063260.11 %
132Ba131.9050610.1 %
134Ba133.9045082.42 %
135Ba134.9056886.59 %
136Ba135.9045767.85 %
137Ba136.90582711.23 %
138Ba137.90524771.7 %

Data checked against PubChem (NIH), IUPAC, the NIST Atomic Spectra Database and the IAEA (NUBASE and AME), the same data you see in the app.

A dash (---) means there is no reliable published measurement. The app never makes one up.

See Barium in the app

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