V
Vanadium
Element 23 · Transition metal
Vanadium (V)
Vanadium is a hard, silvery-grey transition metal used mainly to make tough, shock-resistant steel.
- Transition metal
- Period 4
- Group 5
- d-block
- solid at room temperature
Key properties
- Atomic mass
- 50.9415
- u
- Electron configuration
- [Ar] 3d3 4s2
- Melting point
- 1,909.9 °C
- 2,183 K
- Boiling point
- 3,406.9 °C
- 3,680 K
- Density
- 6 g/cm³
- Electronegativity
- 1.63
- Pauling
- Atomic radius
- 179 pm
- van der Waals
- 1st ionisation energy
- 6.746 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 vanadium
- 01
Del Río found it in 1801 but was persuaded it was impure chromium; Sefström rediscovered it in 1830.
- 02
Henry Ford used vanadium steel in the Model T for its strength.
- 03
Vanadium compounds come in many colours, from violet to green to yellow.
Applications
What is vanadium used for?
- High-strength steel
- Vanadium redox flow batteries
- Catalyst for sulfuric acid
- Jet engine alloys
History
Discovery & name origin
Discovered by
Year
Where
Mexico and Sweden
Name origin
From Vanadís, an Old Norse name for the goddess Freyja, for its beautiful coloured compounds.
Atomic structure
Atomic properties
Atomic structure
Atomic properties
- Atomic number
- 23
- Atomic mass
- 50.9415 u
- Group
- 5
- Period
- 4
- Block
- d-block
- Electron configuration
- [Ar] 3d3 4s2
- Full configuration
- 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d3
- Electrons per shell
- 2, 8, 11, 2
- Electronegativity (Pauling)
- 1.63
- Electron affinity
- 0.525 eV
- Atomic radius (van der Waals)
- 179 pm
- Stable isotopes
- 1
Oxidation states
Highlighted: common oxidation states (+5, +4, +3, +2).
Successive ionisation energies
Energy to remove each electron in turn (kJ/mol). Big jumps show where a new, inner shell begins.
- 1st650.9
- 2nd1,414
- 3rd2,830
- 4th4,507
- 5th6,298.7
- 6th12,363
- 7th14,530
- 8th16,730
Physical
Physical properties & colour
Physical
Physical properties & colour
- State at 20 °C
- Solid
- Melting point
- 2,183 K · 1,909.9 °C · 3,469.7 °F
- Boiling point
- 3,680 K · 3,406.9 °C · 6,164.3 °F
- Density
- 6 g/cm³
- Molar heat capacity
- 24.89 J/(mol·K)
- Appearance
- Blue-silver-grey metal
- CPK model colour
- Copied
The CPK colour is the convention used for this element’s atoms in molecular models.
FAQ
Vanadium questions
What is V on the periodic table?
V is the symbol for vanadium, element 23 on the periodic table. It sits in group 5, period 4, in the transition metal category, and has an atomic mass of 50.9415.
What is the atomic number of vanadium?
Vanadium has atomic number 23, so every vanadium atom has 23 protons in its nucleus. Its symbol is V and its atomic mass is 50.9415.
Who discovered vanadium?
Vanadium was discovered by Andrés Manuel del Río and Nils Gabriel Sefström in 1801 (Mexico and Sweden). The name comes from from Vanadís, an Old Norse name for the goddess Freyja, for its beautiful coloured compounds.
What is vanadium used for?
Vanadium is used for: high-strength steel; vanadium redox flow batteries; catalyst for sulfuric acid; jet engine alloys.
Is vanadium a metal?
Yes. Vanadium is a transition metal, one of the metallic elements.
What is the electron configuration of vanadium?
The electron configuration of vanadium is [Ar] 3d3 4s2. Its 23 electrons are arranged in shells as 2, 8, 11, 2.