Element 32
Germanium (Ge)
Germanium (Ge) is element 32 of the periodic table, a metalloid in period 4, group 14 (p-block) with an atomic mass of 72.63 and is a solid at standard conditions.
At a glance
- Atomic number
- 32
- Symbol
- Ge
- Atomic mass
- 72.63 u
- Category
- Metalloids
- Period
- 4
- Group
- 14
- Block
- p-block
- Phase at STP
- solid
Electron structure
- Electron configuration
- 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p2
- Shorthand configuration
- [Ar] 3d10 4s2 4p2
- Electrons per shell
- 2, 8, 18, 4
- Oxidation states
- -4, -3, -2, -1, +1, +2, +3, +4
Physical properties
- Melting point
- 1211.4 K
- Boiling point
- 3106 K
- Density
- 5.323 g/cm3
- Phase
- solid
Atomic properties
- Electronegativity (Pauling)
- 2.01
- Atomic radius
- 125 pm
- Covalent radius
- 122 pm
- Van der Waals radius
- 211 pm
- First ionization energy
- 762 kJ/mol
- Electron affinity
- 119 kJ/mol
Notable isotopes
| Isotope | Mass | Abundance | Stability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ge-74 | 73.92118 | 36.28% | Stable |
Common uses
- Fiber optics
- Infrared optics
- Solar cells
- Transistors
Discovery
- Year
- 1886
- Discovered by
- Clemens Winkler
- Country
- Germany