Cr - Chromium

24
Cr
Chromium

Chromium Element Information, Facts, Properties, Trends, Uses, Comparison with other elements

Element 24 of Periodic table is Chromium with atomic number 24, atomic weight 51.9961. Chromium, symbol Cr, has a Body Centered Cubic structure and Silver color. Chromium is a Transition Metal element. It is part of group 6 (chromium family). Know everything about Chromium Facts, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Electronic configuration, Atomic and Crystal Structure.
24 Cr - Chromium | SchoolMyKids

Chromium is a chemical element with symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in Group 6. It is a steely-gray, lustrous, hard and brittle metal which takes a high polish, resists tarnishing, and has a high melting point.

It belongs to group 6 of the periodic table having trivial name null. You can also download Printable Periodic Table of Elements Flashcards for Chromium in a PDF format.

Chromium Facts

Read key information and facts about element Chromium

NameChromium
Atomic Number24
Atomic SymbolCr
Atomic Weight51.9961
PhaseSolid
ColorSilver
Appearancesilvery metallic
ClassificationTransition Metal
Natural OccurancePrimordial
Group in Periodic Table6
Group Namechromium family
Period in Periodic Tableperiod 4
Block in Periodic Tabled-block
Electronic Configuration[Ar] 3d5 4s1
Electronic Shell Structure (Electrons per shell)2, 8, 13, 1
Melting Point2180 K
Boiling Point2944 K
CAS NumberCAS7440-47-3
Neighborhood Elements
123456789101112131415161718
1
1
H
Hydrogen
1.008

Atomic #

Electronic Shell #

Symbol
Name
Atomic Weight
HGas
HgLiquid
CSolid
Metals
Metalloids
NonMetals
Alkali metals
Alkali earth metals
Lanthanoids
Transition metals
Post-transition metals
Other nonmetals
Halogens
Nobel gas
Actinoids
2
He
Helium
4.003
2
3
Li
Lithium
6.941
4
Be
Beryllium
9.012
5
B
Boron
10.811
6
C
Carbon
12.011
7
N
Nitrogen
14.007
8
O
Oxygen
15.999
9
F
Fluorine
18.998
10
Ne
Neon
20.180
3
11
Na
Sodium
22.990
12
Mg
Magnesium
24.305
13
Al
Aluminium
26.982
14
Si
Silicon
28.085
15
P
Phosphorus
30.974
16
S
Sulfur
32.065
17
Cl
Chlorine
35.453
18
Ar
Argon
39.948
4
19
K
Potassium
39.098
20
Ca
Calcium
40.078
21
Sc
Scandium
44.956
22
Ti
Titanium
47.867
23
V
Vanadium
50.941
24
Cr
Chromium
51.996
25
Mn
Manganese
54.938
26
Fe
Iron
55.845
27
Co
Cobalt
58.933
28
Ni
Nickel
58.693
29
Cu
Copper
63.546
30
Zn
Zinc
65.409
31
Ga
Gallium
69.723
32
Ge
Germanium
72.640
33
As
Arsenic
74.922
34
Se
Selenium
78.960
35
Br
Bromine
79.904
36
Kr
Krypton
83.798
5
37
Rb
Rubidium
85.468
38
Sr
Strontium
87.620
39
Y
Yttrium
88.906
40
Zr
Zirconium
91.224
41
Nb
Niobium
92.906
42
Mo
Molybdenum
95.940
43
Tc
Technetium
98
44
Ru
Ruthenium
101.070
45
Rh
Rhodium
102.906
46
Pd
Palladium
106.420
47
Ag
Silver
107.868
48
Cd
Cadmium
112.411
49
In
Indium
114.818
50
Sn
Tin
118.710
51
Sb
Antimony
121.760
52
Te
Tellurium
127.600
53
I
Iodine
126.904
54
Xe
Xenon
131.293
6
55
Cs
Cesium
132.905
56
Ba
Barium
137.327
57 - 71
La - Lu
Lanthanides
72
Hf
Hafnium
178.490
73
Ta
Tantalum
180.948
74
W
Tungsten
183.840
75
Re
Rhenium
186.207
76
Os
Osmium
190.230
77
Ir
Iridium
192.217
78
Pt
Platinum
195.078
79
Au
Gold
196.967
80
Hg
Mercury
200.590
81
Tl
Thallium
204.383
82
Pb
Lead
207.200
83
Bi
Bismuth
208.980
84
Po
Polonium
209
85
At
Astatine
210
86
Rn
Radon
222
7
87
Fr
Francium
223
88
Ra
Radium
226
89 - 103
Ac - Lr
Actinides
104
Rf
Rutherfordium
261
105
Db
Dubnium
262
106
Sg
Seaborgium
266
107
Bh
Bohrium
264
108
Hs
Hassium
269
109
Mt
Meitnerium
268
110
Ds
Darmstadtium
281
111
Rg
Roentgenium
272
112
Cn
Copernicium
285
113
Nh
Nihonium
284
114
Fl
Flerovium
289
115
Mc
Moscovium
288
116
Lv
Livermorium
292
117
Ts
Tennessine
294
118
Og
Oganesson
294
Lanthanides
57
La
Lanthanum
138.905
58
Ce
Cerium
140.116
59
Pr
Praseodymium
140.908
60
Nd
Neodymium
144.240
61
Pm
Promethium
145
62
Sm
Samarium
150.360
63
Eu
Europium
151.964
64
Gd
Gadolinium
157.250
65
Tb
Terbium
158.925
66
Dy
Dysprosium
162.500
67
Ho
Holmium
164.930
68
Er
Erbium
167.259
69
Tm
Thulium
168.934
70
Yb
Ytterbium
173.040
71
Lu
Lutetium
174.967
Actinides
89
Ac
Actinium
227
90
Th
Thorium
232.038
91
Pa
Protactinium
231.036
92
U
Uranium
238.029
93
Np
Neptunium
237
94
Pu
Plutonium
244
95
Am
Americium
243
96
Cm
Curium
247
97
Bk
Berkelium
247
98
Cf
Californium
251
99
Es
Einsteinium
252
100
Fm
Fermium
257
101
Md
Mendelevium
258
102
No
Nobelium
259
103
Lr
Lawrencium
262

How to Locate Chromium on Periodic Table

Periodic table is arranged by atomic number, number of protons in the nucleus which is same as number of electrons. The atomic number increases from left to right. Periodic table starts at top left ( Atomic number 1) and ends at bottom right (atomic number 118). Therefore you can directly look for atomic number 24 to find Chromium on periodic table.

Another way to read periodic table and locate an element is by using group number (column) and period number (row). To locate Chromium on periodic table look for cross section of group 6 and period 4 in the modern periodic table.

Chromium History

The element Chromium was discovered by N. Vauquelin in year 1797 in France. Chromium was first isolated by N. Vauquelin in 1798. Chromium derived its name from the Greek word chroma, meaning 'color'.

Discovered By N. Vauquelin
Discovery Date 1797 in France
First Isolation 1798
Isolated by N. Vauquelin

Vauquelin discovered the trioxide incrocoiteore, and later isolated the metal by heating the oxide in a charcoal oven.

Chromium Uses

Chromium is used in stainless steel as well as in the chrome plating process. Various chromium compounds are known for their strong colors.

Chromium Presence: Abundance in Nature and Around Us

The table below shows the abundance of Chromium in Universe, Sun, Meteorites, Earth's Crust, Oceans and Human Body.

 ppb by weight (1ppb =10^-7 %)ppb by atoms (1ppb =10^-7 %)
Abundance in Universe15000400
Abundance in Sun20000400
Abundance in Meteorites31000001200000
Abundance in Earth's Crust14000055000
Abundance in Oceans0.60.071
Abundance in Humans304

Crystal Structure of Chromium

The solid state structure of Chromium is Body Centered Cubic.

The Crystal structure can be described in terms of its unit Cell. The unit Cells repeats itself in three dimensional space to form the structure.

Unit Cell Parameters

The unit cell is represented in terms of its lattice parameters, which are the lengths of the cell edges Lattice Constants (a, b and c)

abc
291 pm291 pm291 pm

and the angles between them Lattice Angles (alpha, beta and gamma).

alphabetagamma
π/2 π/2 π/2

The positions of the atoms inside the unit cell are described by the set of atomic positions ( xi, yi, zi) measured from a reference lattice point.

The symmetry properties of the crystal are described by the concept of space groups. All possible symmetric arrangements of particles in three-dimensional space are described by the 230 space groups (219 distinct types, or 230 if chiral copies are considered distinct.

Space Group NameIm_ 3m
Space Group Number229
Crystal StructureBody Centered Cubic
Number of atoms per unit cell2
24 Cr Chromium - Crystal Structure | SchoolMyKids

The number of atoms per unit cell in a simple cubic, face-centered cubic and body-centred cubic are 1,4,2 respectively.

Chromium Atomic and Orbital Properties

Chromium atoms have 24 electrons and the electronic shell structure is [2, 8, 13, 1] with Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) 7S3.

Atomic Number24
Number of Electrons (with no charge)24
Number of Protons24
Mass Number52
Number of Neutrons28
Shell structure (Electrons per energy level)2, 8, 13, 1
Electron Configuration[Ar] 3d5 4s1
Valence Electrons3d5 4s1
Valence (Valency)6
Main Oxidation States2, 3, 6
Oxidation States-4, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers)7S3

Bohr Atomic Model of Chromium - Electrons per energy level

24 Cr Chromium Electron Shell Structure | SchoolMyKids
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Ground State Electronic Configuration of Chromium - neutral Chromium atom

Abbreviated electronic configuration of Chromium

The ground state abbreviated electronic configuration of Neutral Chromium atom is [Ar] 3d5 4s1. The portion of Chromium configuration that is equivalent to the noble gas of the preceding period, is abbreviated as [Ar]. For atoms with many electrons, this notation can become lengthy and so an abbreviated notation is used. This is important as it is the Valence electrons 3d5 4s1, electrons in the outermost shell that determine the chemical properties of the element.

Unabbreviated electronic configuration of neutral Chromium

Complete ground state electronic configuration for the Chromium atom, Unabbreviated electronic configuration

1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d5 4s1

Electrons are filled in atomic orbitals as per the order determined by the Aufbau principle, Pauli Exclusion Principle and Hund’s Rule.

As per the Aufbau principle the electrons will occupy the orbitals having lower energies before occupying higher energy orbitals. According to this principle, electrons are filled in the following order: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s, 4f, 5d, 6p, 7s, 5f, 6d, 7p…

The Pauli exclusion principle states that a maximum of two electrons, each having opposite spins, can fit in an orbital.

Hund's rule states that every orbital in a given subshell is singly occupied by electrons before a second electron is filled in an orbital.

Electron configuration of Chromium

Atomic Structure of Chromium

Chromium atomic radius is 166 pm, while it's covalent radius is 127 pm.

Atomic Radius Calculated166 pm(1.66 Å)
Atomic Radius Empirical140 pm (1.4 Å)
Atomic Volume7.2824 cm3/mol
Covalent Radius127 pm (1.27 Å)
Van der Waals Radius-
Neutron Cross Section3.1
Neutron Mass Absorption 0.0021

Spectral Lines of Chromium - Atomic Spectrum of Chromium

A spectral line is a dark or bright line in an otherwise uniform and continuous spectrum, resulting from an excess or deficiency of photons in a narrow frequency range, compared with the nearby frequencies. Spectral lines are often used to identify atoms and molecules.

Spectral lines are the result of interaction between a quantum system and a single photon. A spectral line may be observed either as an emission line or an absorption line.

Spectral lines are highly atom-specific, and can be used to identify the chemical composition of any medium. Several elements, including helium, thallium, and caesium, were discovered by spectroscopic means. They are widely used to determine the physical conditions of stars and other celestial bodies that cannot be analyzed by other means.

Emission spectrum of Chromium

Emission Spectrum of Chromium | SchoolMyKids

Absorption spectrum of Chromium

Absorption Spectrum of Chromium | SchoolMyKids

Chromium Chemical Properties: Chromium Ionization Energies and electron affinity

The electron affinity of Chromium is 64.3 kJ/mol.

Valence6
Electronegativity1.66
ElectronAffinity64.3 kJ/mol

Ionization Energy of Chromium

Ionization energy is the amount of energy required to remove an electron from an atom or molecule.in chemistry, this energy is expresed in kilocalories per mole (kcal/mol) or kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol).

Refer to table below for Ionization energies of Chromium

Ionization energy numberEnthalpy - kJ/mol
1st652.9
2nd1590.6
3rd2987
4th4743
5th6702
6th8744.9
7th15455
8th17820
9th20190
10th23580
11th26130
12th28750
13th34230
14th37066
15th97510
16th105800
17th114300
18th125300
19th134700
20th144300
21st157700
22nd166090
23rd721870
24th761733

Chromium Physical Properties

Refer to below table for Chromium Physical Properties

Density7.14 g/cm3(when liquid at m.p density is $6.3 g/cm3)
Molar Volume7.2824 cm3/mol

Elastic Properties

Young Modulus279
Shear Modulus115 GPa
Bulk Modulus 160 GPa
Poisson Ratio0.21

Hardness of Chromium - Tests to Measure of Hardness of Element

Mohs Hardness8.5 MPa
Vickers Hardness1060 MPa
Brinell Hardness1120 MPa

Chromium Electrical Properties

Electrical resistivity measures element's electrical resistance or how strongly it resists electric current.The SI unit of electrical resistivity is the ohm-metre (Ω⋅m). While Electrical conductivity is the reciprocal of electrical resistivity. It represents a element's ability to conduct electric current. The SI unit of electrical conductivity is siemens per metre (S/m).

Chromium is a conductor of electricity. Refer to table below for the Electrical properties of Chromium

Electrical conductors Conductor
Electrical Conductivity7900000 S/m
Resistivity1.3e-7 m Ω
Superconducting Point-

Chromium Heat and Conduction Properties

Thermal Conductivity94 W/(m K)
Thermal Expansion0.0000049 /K

Chromium Magnetic Properties

Magnetic TypeAntiferromagnetic
Curie Point-
Mass Magnetic Susceptibility4.45e-8 m3/kg
Molar Magnetic Susceptibility2.314e-9 m3/mol
Volume Magnetic Susceptibility0.0003177

Optical Properties of Chromium

Refractive Index-

Acoustic Properties of Chromium

Speed of Sound5940 m/s

Chromium Thermal Properties - Enthalpies and thermodynamics

Refer to table below for Thermal properties of Chromium

Melting Point2180 K(1906.85 °C, 3464.330 °F)
Boiling Point2944 K(2670.85 °C, 4839.530 °F)
Critical Temperature-
Superconducting Point-

Enthalpies of Chromium

Heat of Fusion20.5 kJ/mol
Heat of Vaporization339 kJ/mol
Heat of Combustion-

Chromium Isotopes - Nuclear Properties of Chromium

Chromium has 26 isotopes, with between 42 and 67 nucleons. Chromium has 4 stable naturally occuring isotopes.

Isotopes of Chromium - Naturally occurring stable Isotopes: 50Cr, 52Cr, 53Cr, 54Cr.

IsotopeZNIsotope Mass% AbundanceT halfDecay Mode
42Cr241842Synthetic
43Cr241943Synthetic
44Cr242044Synthetic
45Cr242145Synthetic
46Cr242246Synthetic
47Cr242347Synthetic
48Cr242448Synthetic
49Cr242549Synthetic
50Cr2426504.345%StableN/A
51Cr242751Synthetic
52Cr24285283.789%Stable
53Cr2429539.501%StableN/A
54Cr2430542.365%StableN/A
55Cr243155Synthetic
56Cr243256Synthetic
57Cr243357Synthetic
58Cr243458Synthetic
59Cr243559Synthetic
60Cr243660Synthetic
61Cr243761Synthetic
62Cr243862Synthetic
63Cr243963Synthetic
64Cr244064Synthetic
65Cr244165Synthetic
66Cr244266Synthetic
67Cr244367Synthetic

Regulatory and Health - Health and Safety Parameters and Guidelines

The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) identifies hazard class of all dangerous elements/goods/commodities either by its class (or division) number or name. The DOT has divided these materials into nine different categories, known as Hazard Classes.

Flammable solids, self-reactive substances and solid desensitized explosives

NFPA 704 is a Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response. NFPA is a standard maintained by the US based National Fire Protection Association.

The health (blue), flammability (red), and reactivity (yellow) rating all use a numbering scale ranging from 0 to 4. A value of zero means that the element poses no hazard; a rating of four indicates extreme danger.

NFPA Fire Rating1Flash Points Above 93.3°C (200°F)
NFPA Health Rating2 Flash Points Above 37.8°C (100°F) not exceeding 93.3°C (200°F)
NFPA Reactivity Rating1 Flash Points Above 93.3°C (200°F)
NFPA Hazards
Autoignition Point400 °C
Flashpoint-

Database Search

List of unique identifiers to search the element in various chemical registry databases

DatabaseIdentifier number
CAS Number - Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS)CAS7440-47-3
RTECS NumberRTECSGB4200000
CID Number CID23976
Gmelin Number-
NSC Number-

Compare Chromium with other elements

Compare Chromium with Group 6, Period 4 and Transition Metal elements of the periodic table.

Compare Chromium with all Group 6 elements

Compare Chromium with all Period 4 elements

Compare Chromium with all Transition Metal elements

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about Chromium

The electronic configuration of Chromium is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d5 4s1.

The abbreviated electronic configuration of Chromium is [Ar] 3d5 4s1. To form abbreviated notation of electronic configuration, the completely filled subshells are replaced by the noble gas of the preceding period in square brackets.

Symbol of Chromium is Cr. Chromium is a chemical element with symbol Cr and atomic number 24.

Chromium is a chemical element with the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. Chromium is the 24 element on the periodic table. It is located in group 6 and period 4 in the modern periodic table.

The atomic number of Chromium is 24.

Chromium is of Silver color.

The element Chromium was discovered by N. Vauquelin in year 1797 in France. Chromium was first isolated by N. Vauquelin in 1798.

Chromium has 6 valence electrons. Chromium has 24 electrons out of which 6 valence electrons are present in the 3d5 4s1 outer orbitals of atom.

Melting Point of Chromium is 2180 K.

Boiling Point of Chromium is 2944 K.

Melting Point of Chromium in Kelvin is 2180 K.

Boiling Point of Chromium in Kelvin is 2944 K.

Melting Point of Chromium in Celsius is 1906.85 °C.

Boiling Point of Chromium in Celsius is 2670.85 °C.

Melting Point of Chromium in Fahrenheit is 3464.33 °F.

Boiling Point of Chromium in Fahrenheit is 4839.53 °F.

The electronic configuration of Chromium will be 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d5 4s1.

The electronic configuration of Chromium will be 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d5 4s1.