Rhodium (Rh)
Rhodium is one of the rarest and most expensive precious metals, used mainly in catalytic converters.
Properties of Rhodium
- Atomic number
- 45
- Category
- Transition Metal
- Atomic mass
- 102.91 u
- Electron configuration
- [Kr] 4d⁸ 5s¹
- Melting point
- 2237 K (1963.85 °C)
- Boiling point
- 3968 K (3694.85 °C)
- Density
- 12.41 g/cm³
- Electronegativity (Pauling)
- 2.28
- Appearance
- Silvery-white hard metal
- Discovered by
- William Hyde Wollaston (1803)
Facts about Rhodium
- Rhodium is often more expensive than gold — sometimes 10 times more!
- Rhodium is used in your car's catalytic converter to clean exhaust!
- Rhodium's name means "rose" because its compounds are often rose-colored!
- Rhodium plating is what makes white gold jewelry extra shiny!