72 - Hafnium transition metal
Discovered by Dirk Coster in 1923
Hafnium is a chemical element with symbol Hf and atomic number 72. A lustrous, silvery gray, tetravalent transition metal, hafnium chemically resembles zirconium and is found in zirconium minerals. Its existence was predicted by Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869, though it was not identified until 1923, making it the penultimate stable element to be discovered (rhenium was identified two years later).
H He Li Be B C N O F Ne Na Mg Al Si P S Cl Ar K Ca Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn Ga Ge As Se Br Kr Rb Sr Y Zr Nb Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd In Sn Sb Te I Xe Cs Ba La Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu Hf Ta W Re Os Ir Pt Au Hg Tl Pb Bi Po At Rn Fr Ra Ac Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr Rf Db Sg Bh Hs Mt Ds Rg Cn Nh Fl Mc Lv Ts Og
57-71 La-Lu Lanthanides
89-103 Ac-Lr Actinides
| Shell | Electrons | Orbitals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 2 in 1s |
| 2 | 8 | 2 in 2s + 6 in 2p |
| 3 | 18 | 2 in 3s + 6 in 3p + 10 in 3d |
| 4 | 32 | 2 in 4s + 6 in 4p + 10 in 4d + 14 in 4f |
| 5 | 10 | 2 in 5s + 6 in 5p + 2 in 5d |
| 6 | 2 | 2 in 6s |
178 u Atomic Mass
2.2 Å Atomic Radius
4.88k K Boiling Point
1.75 Å Covalent Radius
13.3 g/cm³ Density
17.2 Electron Affinity
1.3 Electronegativity
6.83 eV First Ionization Energy
2.5k K Melting Point
6 Number of Shells
72 Atomic Number
2, 8, 18, 32, 10, 2 Electron Shell Occupations