Zinc
Zinc (锌, symbol Zn) is chemical element number 30, a Transition Metal in period 4, group 12 of the periodic table, with a standard atomic weight of about 65.38. Bluish-white metal. Essential trace element and corrosion-protective coating for steel.
Properties
| Atomic number | 30 |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Zn |
| Atomic mass | 65.38 u |
| Category | Transition Metal |
| Period | 4 |
| Group | 12 |
| Electron configuration | [Ar] 3d¹⁰ 4s² |
| Electronegativity | 1.65 |
| Covalent radius | 122 pm |
| Density | 7.134 g/cm³ |
| Melting point | 692.88 K |
| Boiling point | 1180 K |
| Discovery | Andreas Marggraf, 1746 |
Overview
Bluish-white metal. Essential trace element and corrosion-protective coating for steel. Zinc (Zn) is a Transition Metal with atomic number 30, located in period 4, group 12. 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 [Ar] 3d¹⁰ 4s² and an electronegativity near 1.65; its 2 outer-shell electrons drive its bonding. Under standard conditions it exists as a solid; it melts near 692.88 K (419.7 °C), boils near 1180 K (906.9 °C), has a density around 7.134 g/cm³.
It is widely used in Structural / Alloys, Medical / Pharma and Agriculture / Fertiliser. It was first described by Andreas Marggraf in 1746. Browse elements of the same category in the browse view.
Electron shells
Electrons per shell: 2 · 8 · 18 · 2
Main uses
- Structural / Alloys
- Medical / Pharma
- Agriculture / Fertiliser
Hazard
Compounds containing Zinc
No compounds in this knowledge base contain Zinc 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.