Bismuth Element Information, Facts, Properties, Trends, Uses, Comparison with other elements
Bismuth is a chemical element with symbol Bi and atomic number 83. Bismuth, a pentavalent Post Transition Metal, chemically resembles arsenic and antimony. Elemental bismuth may occur naturally, although its sulfide and oxide form important commercial ores.
It belongs to group 15 of the periodic table having trivial name pentels, pnictogens*. You can also download Printable Periodic Table of Elements Flashcards for Bismuth in a PDF format.
Bismuth Facts
Read key information and facts about element Bismuth
| Name | Bismuth |
| Atomic Number | 83 |
| Atomic Symbol | Bi |
| Atomic Weight | 208.98038 |
| Phase | Solid |
| Color | Gray |
| Appearance | lustrous silver |
| Classification | Post Transition Metal |
| Natural Occurance | Primordial |
| Group in Periodic Table | 15 |
| Group Name | nitrogen family |
| Period in Periodic Table | period 6 |
| Block in Periodic Table | p-block |
| Electronic Configuration | [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p3 |
| Electronic Shell Structure (Electrons per shell) | 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 5 |
| Melting Point | 544.4 K |
| Boiling Point | 1837 K |
| CAS Number | CAS7440-69-9 |
How to Locate Bismuth on Periodic Table
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 83 to find Bismuth 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 Bismuth on periodic table look for cross section of group 15 and period 6 in the modern periodic table.
Bismuth History
The element Bismuth was discovered by C.F. Geoffroy in year 1753 in one. Bismuth was first isolated by in . Bismuth derived its name from German word, now obsolete.
| Discovered By | C.F. Geoffroy |
| Discovery Date | 1753 in one |
| First Isolation | |
| Isolated by |
Definitively identified by Claude François Geoffroy in 1753.
Bismuth Uses
Bismuth is usually used in fire detectors and fire extinguishment systems due to its low melting point. This has also led to its use in electrical fuses.
Bismuth Presence: Abundance in Nature and Around Us
The table below shows the abundance of Bismuth in Universe, Sun, Meteorites, Earth's Crust, Oceans and Human Body.
| ppb by weight (1ppb =10^-7 %) | ppb by atoms (1ppb =10^-7 %) | |
|---|---|---|
| Abundance in Universe | 0.7 | 0.004 |
| Abundance in Sun | 10 | 0.07 |
| Abundance in Meteorites | 70 | 5 |
| Abundance in Earth's Crust | 25 | 2 |
| Abundance in Oceans | 0.02 | 0.00059 |
| Abundance in Humans | - | - |
Crystal Structure of Bismuth
The solid state structure of Bismuth is Base Centered Monoclinic.
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.
Unit Cell Parameters
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 667.4 pm | 611.7 pm | 330.4 pm |
and the angles between them Lattice Angles (alpha, beta and gamma).
| alpha | beta | gamma |
|---|---|---|
| π/2 | 1.925622 | π/2 |
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 | C12/m1 |
| Space Group Number | 12 |
| Crystal Structure | Base Centered Monoclinic |
| Number of atoms per unit cell |
The number of atoms per unit cell in a simple cubic, face-centered cubic and body-centred cubic are 1,4,2 respectively.
Bismuth Atomic and Orbital Properties
Bismuth atoms have 83 electrons and the electronic shell structure is [2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 5] with Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) 4S3/2.
| Atomic Number | 83 |
| Number of Electrons (with no charge) | 83 |
| Number of Protons | 83 |
| Mass Number | 209 |
| Number of Neutrons | 126 |
| Shell structure (Electrons per energy level) | 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 5 |
| Electron Configuration | [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p3 |
| Valence Electrons | 6s2 6p3 |
| Valence (Valency) | 5 |
| Main Oxidation States | 3 |
| Oxidation States | -3, -2, -1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) | 4S3/2 |
Bohr Atomic Model of Bismuth - Electrons per energy level
| n | s | p | d | f |
|---|
Ground State Electronic Configuration of Bismuth - neutral Bismuth atom
Abbreviated electronic configuration of Bismuth
The ground state abbreviated electronic configuration of Neutral Bismuth atom is [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p3. The portion of Bismuth configuration that is equivalent to the noble gas of the preceding period, is abbreviated as [Xe]. 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 6s2 6p3, electrons in the outermost shell that determine the chemical properties of the element.
Unabbreviated electronic configuration of neutral Bismuth
Complete ground state electronic configuration for the Bismuth atom, Unabbreviated electronic configuration
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p3
Electrons are filled in atomic orbitals as per the order determined by the Aufbau principle, Pauli Exclusion Principle and Hund’s Rule.
As per the Aufbau principle the electrons will occupy the orbitals having lower energies before occupying higher energy orbitals. According to this principle, electrons are filled in the following order: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s, 4f, 5d, 6p, 7s, 5f, 6d, 7p…
The Pauli exclusion principle states that a maximum of two electrons, each having opposite spins, can fit in an orbital.
Hund's rule states that every orbital in a given subshell is singly occupied by electrons before a second electron is filled in an orbital.
Atomic Structure of Bismuth
Bismuth atomic radius is 143 pm, while it's covalent radius is 146 pm.
| Atomic Radius Calculated | 143 pm(1.43 Å) |
| Atomic Radius Empirical | 160 pm (1.6 Å) |
| Atomic Volume | 21.31 cm3/mol |
| Covalent Radius | 146 pm (1.46 Å) |
| Van der Waals Radius | 207 pm |
| Neutron Cross Section | 0.034 |
| Neutron Mass Absorption | 0.000006 |
Spectral Lines of Bismuth - Atomic Spectrum of Bismuth
A spectral line is a dark or bright line in an otherwise uniform and continuous spectrum, resulting from an excess or deficiency of photons in a narrow frequency range, compared with the nearby frequencies. Spectral lines are often used to identify atoms and molecules.
Spectral lines are the result of interaction between a quantum system and a single photon. A spectral line may be observed either as an emission line or an absorption line.
Spectral lines are highly atom-specific, and can be used to identify the chemical composition of any medium. Several elements, including helium, thallium, and caesium, were discovered by spectroscopic means. They are widely used to determine the physical conditions of stars and other celestial bodies that cannot be analyzed by other means.
Emission spectrum of Bismuth
Absorption spectrum of Bismuth
Bismuth Chemical Properties: Bismuth Ionization Energies and electron affinity
The electron affinity of Bismuth is 91.2 kJ/mol.
| Valence | 5 |
| Electronegativity | 2.02 |
| ElectronAffinity | 91.2 kJ/mol |
Ionization Energy of Bismuth
Ionization energy is the amount of energy required to remove an electron from an atom or molecule.in chemistry, this energy is expresed in kilocalories per mole (kcal/mol) or kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol).
Refer to table below for Ionization energies of Bismuth
| Ionization energy number | Enthalpy - kJ/mol |
|---|---|
| 1st | 703 |
| 2nd | 1610 |
| 3rd | 2466 |
| 4th | 4370 |
| 5th | 5400 |
| 6th | 8520 |
Bismuth Physical Properties
Refer to below table for Bismuth Physical Properties
| Density | 9.78 g/cm3(when liquid at m.p density is $10.05 g/cm3) |
| Molar Volume | 21.31 cm3/mol |
Elastic Properties
| Young Modulus | 32 |
| Shear Modulus | 12 GPa |
| Bulk Modulus | 31 GPa |
| Poisson Ratio | 0.33 |
Hardness of Bismuth - Tests to Measure of Hardness of Element
| Mohs Hardness | 2.25 MPa |
| Vickers Hardness | - |
| Brinell Hardness | 94.2 MPa |
Bismuth Electrical Properties
Electrical resistivity measures element's electrical resistance or how strongly it resists electric current.The SI unit of electrical resistivity is the ohm-metre (Ω⋅m). While Electrical conductivity is the reciprocal of electrical resistivity. It represents a element's ability to conduct electric current. The SI unit of electrical conductivity is siemens per metre (S/m).
Bismuth is a conductor of electricity. Refer to table below for the Electrical properties of Bismuth
| Electrical conductors | Conductor |
| Electrical Conductivity | 770000 S/m |
| Resistivity | 0.0000013 m Ω |
| Superconducting Point | - |
Bismuth Heat and Conduction Properties
| Thermal Conductivity | 8 W/(m K) |
| Thermal Expansion | 0.0000134 /K |
Bismuth Magnetic Properties
| Magnetic Type | Diamagnetic |
| Curie Point | - |
| Mass Magnetic Susceptibility | -1.7e-8 m3/kg |
| Molar Magnetic Susceptibility | -3.6e-9 m3/mol |
| Volume Magnetic Susceptibility | -0.00017 |
Optical Properties of Bismuth
| Refractive Index | - |
Acoustic Properties of Bismuth
| Speed of Sound | 1790 m/s |
Bismuth Thermal Properties - Enthalpies and thermodynamics
Refer to table below for Thermal properties of Bismuth
| Melting Point | 544.4 K(271.25 °C, 520.250 °F) |
| Boiling Point | 1837 K(1563.85 °C, 2846.930 °F) |
| Critical Temperature | - |
| Superconducting Point | - |
Enthalpies of Bismuth
| Heat of Fusion | 10.9 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Vaporization | 160 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Combustion | - |
Bismuth Isotopes - Nuclear Properties of Bismuth
Bismuth has 35 isotopes, with between 184 and 218 nucleons. Bismuth has 0 stable naturally occuring isotopes.
Isotopes of Bismuth - Naturally occurring stable Isotopes: -.
| Isotope | Z | N | Isotope Mass | % Abundance | T half | Decay Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 184Bi | 83 | 101 | 184 | Synthetic | ||
| 185Bi | 83 | 102 | 185 | Synthetic | ||
| 186Bi | 83 | 103 | 186 | Synthetic | ||
| 187Bi | 83 | 104 | 187 | Synthetic | ||
| 188Bi | 83 | 105 | 188 | Synthetic | ||
| 189Bi | 83 | 106 | 189 | Synthetic | ||
| 190Bi | 83 | 107 | 190 | Synthetic | ||
| 191Bi | 83 | 108 | 191 | Synthetic | ||
| 192Bi | 83 | 109 | 192 | Synthetic | ||
| 193Bi | 83 | 110 | 193 | Synthetic | ||
| 194Bi | 83 | 111 | 194 | Synthetic | ||
| 195Bi | 83 | 112 | 195 | Synthetic | ||
| 196Bi | 83 | 113 | 196 | Synthetic | ||
| 197Bi | 83 | 114 | 197 | Synthetic | ||
| 198Bi | 83 | 115 | 198 | Synthetic | ||
| 199Bi | 83 | 116 | 199 | Synthetic | ||
| 200Bi | 83 | 117 | 200 | Synthetic | ||
| 201Bi | 83 | 118 | 201 | Synthetic | ||
| 202Bi | 83 | 119 | 202 | Synthetic | ||
| 203Bi | 83 | 120 | 203 | Synthetic | ||
| 204Bi | 83 | 121 | 204 | Synthetic | ||
| 205Bi | 83 | 122 | 205 | Synthetic | ||
| 206Bi | 83 | 123 | 206 | Synthetic | ||
| 207Bi | 83 | 124 | 207 | Synthetic | ||
| 208Bi | 83 | 125 | 208 | Synthetic | ||
| 209Bi | 83 | 126 | 209 | 100% | 1.9×10^19 years | AlphaEmission |
| 210Bi | 83 | 127 | 210 | Synthetic | ||
| 211Bi | 83 | 128 | 211 | Synthetic | ||
| 212Bi | 83 | 129 | 212 | Synthetic | ||
| 213Bi | 83 | 130 | 213 | Synthetic | ||
| 214Bi | 83 | 131 | 214 | Synthetic | ||
| 215Bi | 83 | 132 | 215 | Synthetic | ||
| 216Bi | 83 | 133 | 216 | Synthetic | ||
| 217Bi | 83 | 134 | 217 | Synthetic | ||
| 218Bi | 83 | 135 | 218 | Synthetic |
Regulatory and Health - Health and Safety Parameters and Guidelines
The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) identifies hazard class of all dangerous elements/goods/commodities either by its class (or division) number or name. The DOT has divided these materials into nine different categories, known as Hazard Classes.
| DOT Numbers | 3080 |
| DOT Hazard Class | 6.1 |
NFPA 704 is a Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response. NFPA is a standard maintained by the US based National Fire Protection Association.
The health (blue), flammability (red), and reactivity (yellow) rating all use a numbering scale ranging from 0 to 4. A value of zero means that the element poses no hazard; a rating of four indicates extreme danger.
| NFPA Fire Rating | N/A | N/A |
| NFPA Health Rating | N/A | N/A |
| NFPA Reactivity Rating | N/A | N/A |
| NFPA Hazards | N/A |
| Autoignition Point | - |
| Flashpoint | - |
Database Search
List of unique identifiers to search the element in various chemical registry databases
| Database | Identifier number |
|---|---|
| CAS Number - Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) | CAS7440-69-9 |
| RTECS Number | RTECSEB2600000 |
| CID Number | CID5359367 |
| Gmelin Number | - |
| NSC Number | - |
Compare Bismuth with other elements
Compare Bismuth with Group 15, Period 6 and Post Transition Metal elements of the periodic table.
Compare Bismuth with all Group 15 elements
Compare Bismuth with all Period 6 elements
Compare Bismuth with all Post Transition Metal elements
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about Bismuth