Element 4

Beryllium (Be)

Alkaline earth metal · Period 2 · Group 2 · s-block

Beryllium (Be) is element 4 of the periodic table, a alkaline earth metal in period 2, group 2 (s-block) with an atomic mass of 9.0122 and is a solid at standard conditions.

At a glance

Atomic number
4
Symbol
Be
Atomic mass
9.0122 u
Category
Alkaline earth metals
Period
2
Group
2
Block
s-block
Phase at STP
solid

Electron structure

Electron configuration
1s2 2s2
Shorthand configuration
[He] 2s2
Electrons per shell
2, 2
Oxidation states
+2

Physical properties

Melting point
1560 K
Boiling point
2742 K
Density
1.85 g/cm3
Phase
solid

Atomic properties

Electronegativity (Pauling)
1.57
Atomic radius
112 pm
Covalent radius
96 pm
Van der Waals radius
153 pm
First ionization energy
900 kJ/mol
Electron affinity
0 kJ/mol

Notable isotopes

IsotopeMassAbundanceStability
Be-99.01218100%Stable

Common uses

  • Aerospace alloys
  • X-ray windows
  • Nuclear reactors
  • Gyroscopes

Discovery

Year
1798
Discovered by
Louis Nicolas Vauquelin
Country
France

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