72 Hf 178.492

Hafnium

transition metal

Properties

Atomic number
72
Atomic mass
178.492 u
Category
transition metal
Group
4
Period
6
Block
d-block
State (room temp)
Solid
Outer-shell electrons
2
Electronegativity
1.3 (Pauling)
Density
13.31 g/cm³
Melting point
2232.85 °C
Boiling point
4602.85 °C

Electron configuration

1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p⁶ 6s² 4f¹⁴ 5d²

Noble-gas shorthand: [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d² 6s²

Electrons per shell: 2, 8, 18, 32, 10, 2 — that's 2 in the outermost shell.

See how electron configuration is built →

Hf
Bohr model — outer-shell electrons in blue

About Hafnium

Hafnium is a chemical element with symbol Hf and atomic number 72. A lustrous, silvery gray, tetravalent transition metal, hafnium chemically resembles zirconium and is found in zirconium minerals. Its existence was predicted by Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869, though it was not identified until 1923, making it the penultimate stable element to be discovered (rhenium was identified two years later).

Position in the periodic table

Open the interactive periodic table →

Data compiled from Wikipedia, PubChem, and IUPAC. Source.