Curium
Curium (锔, symbol Cm) is chemical element number 96, an Actinide in period 7 of the periodic table, with a standard atomic weight of about 247. Hard, dense radioactive metal. Named in honor of Marie and Pierre Curie.
Properties
| Atomic number | 96 |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Cm |
| Atomic mass | 247 u |
| Category | Actinide |
| Period | 7 |
| Group | — |
| Electron configuration | [Rn] 5f⁷ 6d¹ 7s² |
| Electronegativity | 1.28 |
| Covalent radius | 169 pm |
| Density | 13.51 g/cm³ |
| Melting point | 1613 K |
| Boiling point | 3383 K |
| Discovery | Seaborg, James, Ghiorso, 1944 |
Overview
Hard, dense radioactive metal. Named in honor of Marie and Pierre Curie. Curium (symbol Cm) is chemical element number 96, sitting in period 7 of the periodic table and classed as an Actinide. As an actinide it is typically radioactive and closely tied to nuclear technology.
It has the configuration [Rn] 5f⁷ 6d¹ 7s² and an electronegativity near 1.28; its 2 outer-shell electrons drive its bonding. Under standard conditions it exists as a solid; it melts near 1613 K (1339.9 °C), boils near 3383 K (3109.9 °C), has a density around 13.51 g/cm³.
It is widely used in Research and Energy / Batteries. It is regarded as a high-hazard element, so handle it with appropriate care. It was first described by Seaborg, James, Ghiorso in 1944.
Electron shells
Electrons per shell: 2 · 8 · 18 · 32 · 25 · 9 · 2
Main uses
- Research
- Energy / Batteries
Hazard
Compounds containing Curium
No compounds in this knowledge base contain Curium yet.
Data sources
Atomic mass uses IUPAC (CIAAW) standard atomic weights; the covalent radius is from Cordero et al. (2008). Verify on the RSC Periodic Table, PubChem and Wikipedia. Educational reference only.