Cadmium (Cd)
Cadmium is a soft, toxic metal used in rechargeable batteries and as a pigment.
Properties of Cadmium
- Atomic number
- 48
- Category
- Transition Metal
- Atomic mass
- 112.41 u
- Electron configuration
- [Kr] 4d¹⁰ 5s²
- Melting point
- 594.22 K (321.07 °C)
- Boiling point
- 1040 K (766.85 °C)
- Density
- 8.69 g/cm³
- Electronegativity (Pauling)
- 1.69
- Appearance
- Silvery bluish-gray metal
- Discovered by
- Karl Samuel Leberecht Hermann (1817)
Facts about Cadmium
- Cadmium yellow and cadmium red are famous paint colors used by great artists!
- NiCd (nickel-cadmium) rechargeable batteries use cadmium!
- Cadmium is used in nuclear reactors to control the chain reaction!
- Cadmium is toxic, so old cadmium batteries must be recycled carefully!