Manganese (Mn)

Manganese properties

Atomic number

25

Atomic mass

54.938 u

Category

Transition metal

Group

7

Period

4

Block

d-block

State at room temp.

Solid

Electronegativity

1.55

Melting point

1,519 K (1,245.8 °C)

Boiling point

2,334 K (2,060.8 °C)

Density

7.21 g/cm³

Valence electrons

2

Common charges

+2, +3, +4, +7

Oxidation states

+7, +4, +3, +2

Atomic radius

197 pm

Ionization energy

7.434 eV

Electron affinity

—

Radioactive

No, has stable isotopes

Discovered

1774

Manganese electron configuration

The electron configuration of Manganese (Mn) is [Ar] 3d5 4s2. Its 25 electrons are arranged in shells as 2, 8, 13, 2.

Protons, neutrons and electrons in Manganese

A neutral Manganese atom has 25 protons and 25 electrons. Most Manganese atoms have about 30 neutrons: the atomic mass rounded to 55, minus the atomic number 25.

Neutrons are approximate: atoms of the same element can have different numbers of neutrons (isotopes). Atomic number and mass

How many valence electrons does Manganese have?

2

Manganese has 2 valence electrons, counting the electrons in its outermost s subshell. Like most transition metals, it can also use d electrons in bonding.

See every element: Periodic table with valence electrons

Manganese orbital diagram

Each box is an orbital that holds up to two electrons with opposite spins (↑↓). The inner shells are the same as the noble gas in brackets. How to write electron configurations

Molar mass of Manganese

54.938 g/mol

One mole of Manganese atoms (6.022 × 10²³ atoms) has a mass of 54.938 grams. Use this value to convert between grams and moles.

Compounds containing Manganese

Manganese facts

• Most manganese mined worldwide goes into making steel, where it removes sulfur and oxygen.
• Lumpy 'manganese nodules' cover large areas of the deep ocean floor.
• Manganese (Mn) has atomic number 25 and is a solid at room temperature. It was discovered in 1774.

Position in the periodic table

Manganese is element 25, in period 4 and group 7 of the periodic table, in the d-block.

All transition metals

Uses of Manganese

Manganese is alloyed with steel to make it stronger and harder, and very tough high-manganese steel is used for rock crushers, excavator buckets and railway track crossings. It also strengthens aluminum alloys, such as those used for drink cans. Manganese dioxide is a key material in alkaline and zinc-carbon batteries, and potassium permanganate is used to treat drinking water.

Who discovered Manganese?

Carl Wilhelm Scheele recognized manganese as a new element in 1774, and his colleague Johan Gottlieb Gahn isolated it the same year in Sweden by heating manganese dioxide (pyrolusite) with carbon.

Where does the name come from?

Manganese takes its name from 'black magnesia', an old term for the mineral pyrolusite; magnesia itself refers to the Magnesia region of Greece. In Italian, the Medieval Latin magnesia was altered to manganese.

Discovery timeline