Rubidium
Rubidium (铷, symbol Rb) is chemical element number 37, an Alkali Metal in period 5, group 1 of the periodic table, with a standard atomic weight of about 85.468. Soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Used in atomic clocks and specialty glass.
Properties
| Atomic number | 37 |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Rb |
| Atomic mass | 85.468 u |
| Category | Alkali Metal |
| Period | 5 |
| Group | 1 |
| Electron configuration | [Kr] 5s¹ |
| Electronegativity | 0.82 |
| Covalent radius | 220 pm |
| Density | 1.532 g/cm³ |
| Melting point | 312.46 K |
| Boiling point | 961 K |
| Discovery | Bunsen & Kirchhoff, 1861 |
Overview
Soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Used in atomic clocks and specialty glass. Element 37, Rubidium (Rb), is an Alkali Metal found in period 5, group 1. As an alkali metal it is soft and highly reactive, releasing hydrogen on contact with water, and is usually stored away from air and moisture.
With 1 electron in its outermost shell, Rubidium bonds accordingly; full configuration [Kr] 5s¹, electronegativity 0.82. At room temperature it is normally a solid (a very low melting point); it melts near 312.46 K (39.3 °C), boils near 961 K (687.9 °C), has a density around 1.532 g/cm³.
Common applications range across Research and Electronics / Semiconductors. On the safety side, it carries a moderate hazard rating. It was first described by Bunsen & Kirchhoff in 1861. See more trends in the visualization center.
Electron shells
Electrons per shell: 2 · 8 · 18 · 8 · 1
Main uses
- Research
- Electronics / Semiconductors
Hazard
Compounds containing Rubidium
No compounds in this knowledge base contain Rubidium 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.