Element 4 of Periodic table is Beryllium with atomic number 4, atomic weight 9.012182. Beryllium, symbol Be, has a Simple Hexagonal structure and SlateGray color. Beryllium is a alkaline earth metal element. Trivial name of Beryllium is alkaline earth metals*. Know everything about Beryllium Facts, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Electronic configuration, Atomic and Crystal Structure.
Beryllium is a chemical element with symbol Be and atomic number 4. It is created through stellar nucleosynthesis and is a relatively rare element in the universe. It is a divalent element which occurs naturally only in combination with other elements in minerals.
Read key information and facts about element Beryllium
| Name | Beryllium |
| Atomic Number | 4 |
| Atomic Symbol | Be |
| Atomic Weight | 9.012182 |
| Phase | Solid |
| Color | SlateGray |
| Classification | alkaline earth metal |
| Group in Periodic Table | 2 |
| Group Name | beryllium family |
| Period in Periodic Table | 2 |
| Block in Periodic Table | s-block |
| Electronic Configuration | [He] 2s2 |
| Melting Point | 1287 °C |
| Boiling Point | 2470 °C |
| Electronic Shell Structure | [2, 2] |
| CAS Number | CAS7440-41-7 |
Periodic table is arranged by atomic number, number of protons in the nucleus which is same as number of electrons. The atomic number increases from left to right. Periodic table starts at top left ( Atomic number 1) and ends at bottom right (atomic number 118). Therefore you can directly look for atomic number 4 to find Beryllium on periodic table.
Another way to read periodic table and locate an element is by using group number (column) and period number (row). To locate Beryllium on periodic table look for cross section of group 2 and period 2 in the modern periodic table.
The element Beryllium was discovered by Louis Nicolas Vauquelin in year 1797 in France . Beryllium derived its name from beryl, a mineral
The table below shows the abundance of Beryllium in Universe, Sun, Meteorites, Earth's Crust, Oceans and Human Body.
| Ppb by weight (1ppb =10^-7 %) | |
|---|---|
| Abundance in Universe | 1×10-7% |
| Abundance in Sun | 1×10-8% |
| Abundance in Meteorites | 2.9×10-6% |
| Abundance in Earth's Crust | 1.9e-06 |
| Abundance in Oceans | 6×10-11% |
| Abundance in Humans | 4×10-8% |
The solid state structure of Beryllium is Simple Hexagonal.
The Crystal structure can be described in terms of its unit Cell. The unit Cells repeats itself in three dimensional space to form the structure.
The unit cell is represented in terms of its lattice parameters, which are the lengths of the cell edges Lattice Constants (a, b and c)
| a | b | c |
|---|---|---|
| 228.58 | 228.58 | 358.43 pm |
and the angles between them Lattice Angles (alpha, beta and gamma).
| alpha | beta | gamma |
|---|---|---|
| π/2 | π/2 | 2 π/3 |
The positions of the atoms inside the unit cell are described by the set of atomic positions ( xi, yi, zi) measured from a reference lattice point.
The symmetry properties of the crystal are described by the concept of space groups. All possible symmetric arrangements of particles in three-dimensional space are described by the 230 space groups (219 distinct types, or 230 if chiral copies are considered distinct.
| Space Group Name | P63/mmc |
|
| Space Group Number | 194 | |
| Crystal Structure | Simple Hexagonal |
Beryllium atoms have 4 electrons and the electronic shell structure is [2, 2] with Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) 1S0.
| Atomic Number | 4 |
| Number of Electrons (with no charge) | 4 |
| Number of Protons | 4 |
| Mass Number | 9 |
| Number of Neutrons | 5 |
| Shell structure (Electrons per energy level) | [2, 2] |
| Electron Configuration | [He] 2s2 |
| Valence Electrons | 2s2 |
| Oxidation State | 1;2 |
| Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) | 1S0 |
Shell Structure of Beryllium - Electrons per energy level
| n | s | p | d | f | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | K | 2 | |||
| 2 | L | 2 |
The ground state electronic configuration of Neutral Beryllium atom is [He] 2s2. The portion of Beryllium configuration that is equivalent to the noble gas of the preceding period, is abbreviated as [He]. For atoms with many electrons, this notation can become lengthy and so an abbreviated notation is used.This is important as it is the Valence electrons 2s2, electrons in the outermost shell that determine the chemical properties of the element.
Complete ground state electronic configuration for the Beryllium atom, Unabbreviated electronic configuration
1s2 2s2
Beryllium atomic radius is 112 pm, while it's covalent radius is 90 pm.
| Atomic Radius |
112 pm (1.12 Å) |
| Atomic Volume | 4.87672186147 cm3 |
| Covalent Radius | 90 pm (0.9 Å) |
| Van der Waals Radius | N/A |
| Neutron Cross Section | 0.0092 σa/barns |
The electron affinity of Beryllium is 0 kJ/mol
| Valence | 2 |
| Electronegativity | 1.57 |
| ElectronAffinity | 0 kJ/mol |
Refer to table below for Ionization energies of Beryllium
| Ionization energy number | Enthalpy - kJ/mol |
|---|---|
| 1 | 899.5 |
| 2 | 1757.1 |
| 3 | 14848.7 |
| 4 | 21006.6 |
Refer to below table for Beryllium Physical Properties
| Density | 1.848 g/cm3 |
| Molar Volume | 4.87672186147 cm3 |
| Young Modulus | 287 GPa |
| Shear Modulus | 132 GPa |
| Bulk Modulus | 130 GPa |
| Poisson Ratio | 0.032 |
| Mohs Hardness | 5.5 MPa |
| Vickers Hardness | 1670 MPa |
| Brinell Hardness | 600 MPa |
Beryllium is Conductor of electricity. Refer to table below for the Electrical properties of Beryllium
| Electrical Conductivity | 2.5×107 S/m |
| Resistivity | 4×10-8 m Ω |
| Superconducting Point | 0.026 |
| Thermal Conductivity | 190 W/(m K) |
| Thermal Expansion | 0.0000113 K-1 |
| Magnetic Type | Diamagnetic |
| Curie Point | N/A |
| Mass Magnetic Susceptibility | -1.26×10-8 |
| Molar Magnetic Susceptibility | -1.136×10-10 |
| Volume Magnetic Susceptibility | -2.328e-05 |
| Refractive Index | N/A |
| Speed of Sound | 1.3×104 m/s |
Refer to table below for Thermal properties of Beryllium
| Melting Point | 1560 K (1287 °C) |
| Boiling Point | 2743 K (2470 °C) |
| Critical Temperature | N/A |
| Superconducting Point | 0.026 |
| Heat of Fusion | 7.95 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Vaporization | 297 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Combustion | N/A |
Isotopes of rhodium. Naturally occurring Beryllium has 1 stable isotope - 9Be.
| Isotope | Isotope Mass | % Abundance | T half | Decay Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5Be | ||||
| 6Be | ||||
| 7Be | ||||
| 8Be | ||||
| 9Be | Stable | N/A | ||
| 10Be | ||||
| 11Be | ||||
| 12Be | ||||
| 13Be | ||||
| 14Be | ||||
| 15Be | ||||
| 16Be |
| CAS Number | CAS7440-41-7 |
| RTECS Number | RTECSDS1750000 |
| DOT Hazard Class | 6.1 |
| DOT Numbers | 1567 |
| EU Number | N/A |
| NFPA Fire Rating | 1 |
| NFPA Hazards | N/A |
| NFPA Health Rating | 3 |
| NFPA Reactivity Rating | 0 |
| Autoignition Point | N/A |
| Flashpoint | N/A |
List of unique identifiers to search the element in various chemical registry databases
| Database | Identifier number |
|---|---|
| CAS Number - Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) | CAS7440-41-7 |
| CID Number | CID5460467 |
| Gmelin Number | N/A |
| NSC Number | N/A |
| RTECS Number | RTECSDS1750000 |
Metalloid |
Nonmetals |
| Other Nonmetals | |
| Halogens | Noble Gas |
Metals |
|
| Alkali Metals | Alkaline Earth Metals |
| Transition Metals | Post-Transition Metals |
| Lanthanide | Actinide |