Molybdenum
Molybdenum (钼, symbol Mo) is chemical element number 42, a Transition Metal in period 5, group 6 of the periodic table, with a standard atomic weight of about 95.95. Silvery metal with very high melting point. Strengthens steel and is essential in enzymes.
Properties
| Atomic number | 42 |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Mo |
| Atomic mass | 95.95 u |
| Category | Transition Metal |
| Period | 5 |
| Group | 6 |
| Electron configuration | [Kr] 4d⁵ 5s¹ |
| Electronegativity | 2.16 |
| Covalent radius | 154 pm |
| Density | 10.22 g/cm³ |
| Melting point | 2896 K |
| Boiling point | 4912 K |
| Discovery | Carl Wilhelm Scheele, 1778 |
Overview
Silvery metal with very high melting point. Strengthens steel and is essential in enzymes. Molybdenum (Mo) is a Transition Metal with atomic number 42, located in period 5, group 6. As a transition metal it commonly shows several oxidation states, forms coloured compounds, and is widely used in catalysts and alloys.
It has the configuration [Kr] 4d⁵ 5s¹ and an electronegativity near 2.16; its 1 outer-shell electron drives its bonding. Under standard conditions it exists as a solid (a very high melting point); it melts near 2896 K (2622.9 °C), boils near 4912 K (4638.9 °C), has a density around 10.22 g/cm³.
It is widely used in Structural / Alloys, Catalysis and Agriculture / Fertiliser. It was first described by Carl Wilhelm Scheele in 1778. See more trends in the visualization center.
Electron shells
Electrons per shell: 2 · 8 · 18 · 13 · 1
Main uses
- Structural / Alloys
- Catalysis
- Agriculture / Fertiliser
Hazard
Compounds containing Molybdenum
No compounds in this knowledge base contain Molybdenum 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.