Vanadium (V)

Vanadium properties

Atomic number

23

Atomic mass

50.942 u

Category

Transition metal

Group

5

Period

4

Block

d-block

State at room temp.

Solid

Electronegativity

1.63

Melting point

2,183 K (1,909.8 °C)

Boiling point

3,680 K (3,406.8 °C)

Density

6 g/cm³

Valence electrons

2

Common charges

+2, +3, +4, +5

Oxidation states

+5, +4, +3, +2

Atomic radius

179 pm

Ionization energy

6.746 eV

Electron affinity

0.525 eV

Radioactive

No, has stable isotopes

Discovered

1801

Vanadium electron configuration

The electron configuration of Vanadium (V) is [Ar] 3d3 4s2. Its 23 electrons are arranged in shells as 2, 8, 11, 2.

Protons, neutrons and electrons in Vanadium

A neutral Vanadium atom has 23 protons and 23 electrons. Most Vanadium atoms have about 28 neutrons: the atomic mass rounded to 51, minus the atomic number 23.

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

How many valence electrons does Vanadium have?

2

Vanadium 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

Vanadium 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 Vanadium

50.942 g/mol

One mole of Vanadium atoms (6.022 × 10²³ atoms) has a mass of 50.942 grams. Use this value to convert between grams and moles.

Vanadium facts

• Dissolved vanadium compounds can be violet, green, blue or yellow, depending on the vanadium's oxidation state.
• Some sea squirts concentrate vanadium in their blood cells to levels millions of times higher than in the surrounding seawater.
• Vanadium (V) has atomic number 23 and is a solid at room temperature. It was discovered in 1801.

Position in the periodic table

Vanadium is element 23, in period 4 and group 5 of the periodic table, in the d-block.

All transition metals

Uses of Vanadium

Vanadium is used mostly as an additive in steel, where small amounts make it tougher and stronger for tools, springs, axles and reinforcing bars. Vanadium is also a key ingredient of titanium alloys for jet engines and airframes. Vanadium pentoxide is the catalyst used to make sulfuric acid, and vanadium redox flow batteries store electricity for power grids.

Who discovered Vanadium?

Andrés Manuel del Río found vanadium in a Mexican lead ore in 1801, but he was persuaded that it was only impure chromium. Nils Gabriel Sefström rediscovered it in Sweden in 1830 and named it after Vanadís, a name of the Norse goddess Freyja.

Where does the name come from?

Vanadium is named after Vanadís, an Old Norse name for Freyja, the Scandinavian goddess of beauty. Nils Gabriel Sefström chose it in 1830 because the element forms compounds in many beautiful colors.

Discovery timeline