Molybdenum (Mo)
Molybdenum has one of the highest melting points of all elements and is used to make high-strength steel alloys.
Properties of Molybdenum
- Atomic number
- 42
- Category
- Transition Metal
- Atomic mass
- 95.95 u
- Electron configuration
- [Kr] 4d⁵ 5s¹
- Melting point
- 2896 K (2622.85 °C)
- Boiling point
- 4912 K (4638.85 °C)
- Density
- 10.22 g/cm³
- Electronegativity (Pauling)
- 2.16
- Appearance
- Silvery-gray metal
- Discovered by
- Carl Wilhelm Scheele (1781)
Facts about Molybdenum
- Molybdenum has the sixth-highest melting point of any element!
- Plants and animals need tiny amounts of molybdenum to survive!
- Molybdenum is used in armor plating and aircraft parts!
- Its name sounds funny but comes from the Greek word for lead — people used to confuse them!