Return
to the Main CHEMystery Page.
Return
to the Periodic Table of the Elements
Element 48 - Cadmium (Cd)
From
kadmia
, or earth; discovered 1817. Cadmium occurs in nature with zinc. It makes excellent neutron-eating rods to slow up atomic chain reactions and finds use in nickel-cadmium batteries. Its bright sulfide makes the artist's popular pigment, cadmium yellow.
Properties
Atomic Number
:
48
Atomic Weight
:
112.41
Electron Configuration
(at ground state):
1s
2
2s
2
2p
6
3s
2
3p
6
3d
10
4s
2
4p
6
4d
10
5s
2
Oxidation States
(Bold most stable):
+2
Boiling Point
(K):
1040
Melting Point (K):
594.26
Density
(at 300K -- g/cm
3
):
8.65
Atomic Volume (at 300K -- cm
3
/mol)
13.10
Number of stable
isotopes
:
8
Mass Number
(Bold naturally occurring) --
Half-Life
--
Disintigration Type
:
109 -- 453 days -- orbital
electron capture
Covalent Radius (Å):
1.41
Atomic Radius (Å):
1.71
First
Ionization Potential
(V):
8.993
Electronegativity
(Pauling's):
1.69
Specific Heat
Capacity (at 300K -- J g
-1
K
-1
):
0.232
Heat of Vaporization (kJ/mol):
99.87
Heat of Fusion (kJ/mol):
6.07
Electrical Conductivity (at 293K for polycrystalline material -- 10
6
-1
cm
-1
):
14.7
Thermal Conductivity (at 300K -- W m
-1
K
-1
):
96.8
Crystal Structure:
Hexagonal
Acid
-
Base
Properties:
Very basic