Nb
Niobium · element 41
Transition Metal · Solid at room temperature
Niobium, formerly columbium, is a chemical element with symbol Nb (formerly Cb) and atomic number 41. It is a soft, grey, ductile transition metal, which is often found in the pyrochlore mineral, the main commercial source for niobium, and columbite. The name comes from Greek mythology:Niobe, daughter of Tantalus since it is so similar to tantalum.
Key facts
Atomic mass
92.906372 u
how heavy one atom is
Phase (room temp.)
Solid
Density
8.57 g/cm³
how tightly packed it is
Melting point
2750 K (2477 °C)
when solid turns to liquid
Boiling point
5017 K (4744 °C)
when liquid turns to gas
Period
5
its row in the periodic table
Group
5
its column in the periodic table
Block
D-block
the neighbourhood it lives in
Electronegativity
1.6
how strongly it pulls electrons
Electron configuration
[Kr] 4d4 5s1
where its electrons live
Shells
2 · 8 · 18 · 12 · 1
electrons in each layer, inside to out
Discovered by
Charles Hatchett
who found it
Appearance
gray metallic, bluish when oxidized
what it looks like
Source: Wikipedia