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Element 45 - Rhodium (Rh)
From
rhodon
, or rose (its salts give a rosey solution); discovered 1803. Besides forming alloys, rodium makes a lustrous, hard coating for other metals in such items as table silver and camera parts. A thin film of vaporized rhodium deposited on glass makes excellent mirrors.
Properties
Atomic Number
:
45
Atomic Weight
:
102.9055
Electron Configuration
(at ground state):
1s
2
2s
2
2p
6
3s
2
3p
6
3d
10
4s
2
4p
6
4d
8
5s
1
Oxidation States
(Bold most stable):
+2,
+3
, +4
Boiling Point
(K):
3970
Melting Point (K):
2236
Density
(at 300K -- g/cm
3
):
12.41
Atomic Volume (at 300K -- cm
3
/mol)
8.30
Number of stable
isotopes
:
1
Number of natural
radioactive
isotopes:
###
Mass Number
(Bold naturally occurring) --
Half-Life
--
Disintigration Type
:
101 -- 3.3 years -- orbital
electron capture
Covalent Radius (Å):
1.25
Atomic Radius (Å):
1.34
First
Ionization Potential
(V):
7.46
Electronegativity
(Pauling's):
2.28
Specific Heat
Capacity (at 300K -- J g
-1
K
-1
):
0.242
Heat of Vaporization (kJ/mol):
495.39
Heat of Fusion (kJ/mol):
21.76
Electrical Conductivity (at 293K for polycrystalline material -- 10
6
-1
cm
-1
):
23
Thermal Conductivity (at 300K -- W m
-1
K
-1
):
150
Crystal Structure:
Cubic, face centered
Acid
-
Base
Properties:
Amphoteric