Element 52

Tellurium (Te)

Metalloid · Period 5 · Group 16 · p-block

Tellurium (Te) is element 52 of the periodic table, a metalloid in period 5, group 16 (p-block) with an atomic mass of 127.6 and is a solid at standard conditions.

At a glance

Atomic number
52
Symbol
Te
Atomic mass
127.6 u
Category
Metalloids
Period
5
Group
16
Block
p-block
Phase at STP
solid

Electron structure

Electron configuration
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p4
Shorthand configuration
[Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p4
Electrons per shell
2, 8, 18, 18, 6
Oxidation states
-2, -1, +1, +2, +3, +4, +5, +6

Physical properties

Melting point
722.66 K
Boiling point
1261 K
Density
6.232 g/cm3
Phase
solid

Atomic properties

Electronegativity (Pauling)
2.1
Atomic radius
123 pm
Covalent radius
138 pm
Van der Waals radius
206 pm
First ionization energy
869 kJ/mol
Electron affinity
190 kJ/mol

Notable isotopes

IsotopeMassAbundanceStability
Te-130129.9062234.08%Stable

Common uses

  • Solar cells
  • Thermoelectric devices
  • Metallurgy
  • Rubber

Discovery

Year
1783
Discovered by
Franz-Joseph Müller von Reichenstein
Country
Romania

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