Rhodium
Rhodium (铑, symbol Rh) is chemical element number 45, a Transition Metal in period 5, group 9 of the periodic table, with a standard atomic weight of about 102.91. Rare, silvery-white precious metal. Vital for catalytic converters in vehicles.
Properties
| Atomic number | 45 |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Rh |
| Atomic mass | 102.91 u |
| Category | Transition Metal |
| Period | 5 |
| Group | 9 |
| Electron configuration | [Kr] 4d⁸ 5s¹ |
| Electronegativity | 2.28 |
| Covalent radius | 142 pm |
| Density | 12.41 g/cm³ |
| Melting point | 2237 K |
| Boiling point | 3968 K |
| Discovery | William Hyde Wollaston, 1803 |
Overview
Rare, silvery-white precious metal. Vital for catalytic converters in vehicles. Element 45, Rhodium (Rh), is a Transition Metal found in period 5, group 9. 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] 4d⁸ 5s¹ and an electronegativity near 2.28; its 1 outer-shell electron drives its bonding. Under standard conditions it exists as a solid (a very high melting point); it melts near 2237 K (1963.9 °C), boils near 3968 K (3694.9 °C), has a density around 12.41 g/cm³.
It is widely used in Catalysis and Precious Metal. It was first described by William Hyde Wollaston in 1803. Browse elements of the same category in the browse view.
Electron shells
Electrons per shell: 2 · 8 · 18 · 16 · 1
Main uses
- Catalysis
- Precious Metal
Hazard
Compounds containing Rhodium
No compounds in this knowledge base contain Rhodium 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.