Te
Tellurium
Element 52 · Metalloid
Tellurium (Te)
Tellurium is a brittle, silvery-white metalloid, rarer in Earth’s crust than gold. It is used in solar panels and thermoelectrics.
- Metalloid
- Period 5
- Group 16
- p-block
- solid at room temperature
Key properties
- Atomic mass
- 127.6
- u
- Electron configuration
- [Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p4
- Melting point
- 449.5 °C
- 722.66 K
- Boiling point
- 987.9 °C
- 1,261 K
- Density
- 6.232 g/cm³
- Electronegativity
- 2.1
- Pauling
- Atomic radius
- 206 pm
- van der Waals
- 1st ionisation energy
- 9.01 eV
Compare with every element:Electronegativity chartAtomic radius chartIonisation energy chartDensity chart of the elementsMelting point chartElectron configuration chart
Did you know?
Notable facts about tellurium
- 01
Exposure to tellurium gives people a strong garlic-like breath.
- 02
Tellurium is one of the few elements that combine with gold in nature.
- 03
Cadmium telluride thin-film solar panels are among the cheapest to make.
Applications
What is tellurium used for?
- Solar panels (CdTe)
- Thermoelectric coolers
- Rewritable DVDs
- Alloying steel and copper
History
Discovery & name origin
Discovered by
Year
Where
Romania (Transylvania)
Name origin
Latin tellus, “earth”.
Atomic structure
Atomic properties
Atomic structure
Atomic properties
- Atomic number
- 52
- Atomic mass
- 127.6 u
- Group
- 16
- Period
- 5
- Block
- p-block
- Electron configuration
- [Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p4
- Full configuration
- 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10 4p6 5s2 4d10 5p4
- Electrons per shell
- 2, 8, 18, 18, 6
- Electronegativity (Pauling)
- 2.1
- Electron affinity
- 1.971 eV
- Atomic radius (van der Waals)
- 206 pm
- Stable isotopes
- 6
Oxidation states
Highlighted: common oxidation states (+6, +4, -2).
Successive ionisation energies
Energy to remove each electron in turn (kJ/mol). Big jumps show where a new, inner shell begins.
- 1st869.3
- 2nd1,790
- 3rd2,698
- 4th3,610
- 5th5,668
- 6th6,820
- 7th13,200
Physical
Physical properties & colour
Physical
Physical properties & colour
- State at 20 °C
- Solid
- Melting point
- 722.66 K · 449.5 °C · 841.1 °F
- Boiling point
- 1,261 K · 987.9 °C · 1,810.1 °F
- Density
- 6.232 g/cm³
- Molar heat capacity
- 25.73 J/(mol·K)
- Appearance
- —
- CPK model colour
- Copied
The CPK colour is the convention used for this element’s atoms in molecular models.
FAQ
Tellurium questions
What is Te on the periodic table?
Te is the symbol for tellurium, element 52 on the periodic table. It sits in group 16, period 5, in the metalloid category, and has an atomic mass of 127.6.
What is the atomic number of tellurium?
Tellurium has atomic number 52, so every tellurium atom has 52 protons in its nucleus. Its symbol is Te and its atomic mass is 127.6.
Who discovered tellurium?
Tellurium was discovered by Franz-Joseph Müller von Reichenstein in 1782 (Romania (Transylvania)). The name comes from Latin tellus, “earth”.
What is tellurium used for?
Tellurium is used for: solar panels (CdTe); thermoelectric coolers; rewritable DVDs; alloying steel and copper.
Is tellurium a metal?
No. Tellurium is classed as a metalloid, with properties between metals and nonmetals.
What is the electron configuration of tellurium?
The electron configuration of tellurium is [Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p4. Its 52 electrons are arranged in shells as 2, 8, 18, 18, 6.