Cambridge Encyclopedia :: Cambridge Encyclopedia Vol. 28

gallium

Ga, element 31. A metal with a remarkable liquid range (melting point 28°C, boiling point 2400°C), relatively rare and found chiefly as an impurity in ores of other elements. In virtually all its compounds, it shows oxidation state +3. It is important mainly as gallium arsenide (GaAs), a compound converting electrical energy into visible light, and used in light-emitting diodes and other electronic devices.

31 zinc ← gallium → germanium
Al

Ga

In
Periodic Table - Extended Periodic Table
General
Name, Symbol, Number gallium, Ga, 31
Chemical series poor metals
Group, Period, Block 13, 4, p
Appearance silvery white
 
Atomic mass 69.723(1) g/mol
Electron configuration [Ar] 3d 4p1
Electrons per shell 2, 8, 18, 3
Physical properties
Phase solid
Density (near r.t.) 5.91 g·cm−3
Liquid density at m.p. 6.095 g·cm−3
Melting point 302.9146 K
(29.7646 °C, 85.5763 °F)
Boiling point 2477 K
(2204 °C, 3999 °F)
Heat of fusion 5.59 kJ·mol−1
Heat of vaporization 254 kJ·mol−1
Heat capacity (25 °C) 25.86 J·mol
Vapor pressure
P/Pa 1 10 100 1 k 10 k 100 k
at T/K 1310 1448 1620 1838 2125 2518
Atomic properties
Crystal structure orthorhombic
Oxidation states 3
(amphoteric oxide)
Electronegativity 1.81 (Pauling scale)
Ionization energies
(more)
1st: 578.8 kJ·mol−1
2nd: 1979.3 kJ·mol−1
3rd: 2963 kJ·mol−1
Atomic radius 130 pm
Atomic radius (calc.) 136 pm
Covalent radius 126 pm
Van der Waals radius 187 pm
Miscellaneous
Magnetic ordering no data
Thermal conductivity (300 K) 40.6 W·m
Speed of sound (thin rod) (20 °C) 2740 m/s
Mohs hardness 1.5
Brinell hardness 60 MPa
CAS registry number 7440-55-3
Selected isotopes
Main article: Isotopes of gallium
iso NA half-life DM DE (MeV) DP
69Ga 60.11% Ga is stable with 38 neutrons
71Ga 39.89% Ga is stable with 40 neutrons
References

Gallium (IPA: /ˈgaliəm/) is a chemical element that has the symbol Ga and atomic number 31.

galvanometer - Operation, Types, Uses [next] [back] Gallipoli - History, Battle of Gallipoli, Ecclesiastical history, Sources and references

User Comments Add a comment…