
Barium element (Ba) is in group 2 and period 6 of a periodic table. Barium is in the s-block and it is classified as an alkaline earth metal on the periodic table.
There is a lot more information related to barium which is mentioned in the Information Table given below.
So let’s dive right into it!
Table of contents
- Barium element (Information Table)
- Barium element in Periodic table
- Facts about Barium
- Properties of Barium
- Uses of Barium
Barium Element (Information Table)
The important data related to barium element is given in the table below.
Appearance of barium | Silvery gray metallic appearance with a pale yellow colored tint |
Atomic number of barium | 56 |
Symbol of barium | Ba |
Atomic mass of barium | 137.33 u |
Protons, Neutrons & Electrons in barium | Protons: 56, Neutrons: 81, Electrons: 56 |
State of barium (at STP) | Solid |
Group number of barium in periodic table | 2 |
Period number of barium in periodic table | 6 |
Block of barium in periodic table | s-block |
Category of barium | Alkaline earth metals |
Bohr model or Electrons per shell or Electrons arrangement in barium | 2, 8, 18, 18, 8, 2 |
Electron configuration of barium | [Xe] 6s2 |
Orbital diagram of barium | ![]() |
Valence electrons in barium | 2 |
Electronegativity of barium (on pauling scale) | 0.89 |
Atomic radius of barium (van der Waals radius) | 268 picometers |
Density of barium | 3.51 g/cm3 |
1st ionization energy of barium | 5.212 eV |
Main isotope of barium | 138Ba |
Melting point of barium | 1000 K or 727 °C or 1341 °F |
Boiling point of barium | 2118 K or 1845 °C or 3353 °F |
Crystal structure of barium | Body Centered Cubic (BCC) |
Discovery of barium | By Carl Wilhelm Scheele in 1772 |
Also see: Interactive Periodic Table (It has rotating bohr models as well as many other details of all the 118 elements in a single periodic table).
Barium element in Periodic table
The Barium element (Ba) has the atomic number 56 and is located in group 2 and period 6. Barium is in solid state at STP and it is classified as an alkaline earth metal on the periodic table.
H | He | ||||||||||||||||
Li | Be | B | C | N | O | F | Ne | ||||||||||
Na | Mg | Al | Si | P | S | Cl | Ar | ||||||||||
K | Ca | Sc | Ti | V | Cr | Mn | Fe | Co | Ni | Cu | Zn | Ga | Ge | As | Se | Br | Kr |
Rb | Sr | Y | Zr | Nb | Mo | Tc | Ru | Rh | Pd | Ag | Cd | In | Sn | Sb | Te | I | Xe |
Cs | Ba | La* | Hf | Ta | W | Re | Os | Ir | Pt | Au | Hg | Tl | Pb | Bi | Po | At | Rn |
Fr | Ra | Ac** | Rf | Db | Sg | Bh | Hs | Mt | Ds | Rg | Cn | Nh | Fl | Mc | Lv | Ts | Og |
*Ce | Pr | Nd | Pm | Sm | Eu | Gd | Tb | Dy | Ho | Er | Tm | Yb | Lu | ||||
**Th | Pa | U | Np | Pu | Am | Cm | Bk | Cf | Es | Fm | Md | No | Lr |
Facts about barium
Here are a few interesting facts about barium element.
- Barium was given its name from the Greek word “barys”, which means heavy.
- Carl Wilhelm Scheele discovered barium in 1772 and Humphry Davy was the person to isolate barium in 1808.
- Barium is the 17th most abundant element found from the earth’s crust.
- Our body also contains a trace amount and it is obtained from foods like onion, carrot, beans, etc.
Properties of barium
Here is a list of some physical properties and chemical properties of barium.
Physical properties of barium
- Barium has a silvery gray metallic luster having a pale yellow tint.
- Barium has a BCC crystal structure.
- The melting point and boiling point of barium is 1000 K and 2118 K respectively.
- There are many isotopes of barium, and out of those isotopes, the most abundant isotope is 138Ba.
- The barium has a density of 3.51 g/cm3 and its atomic mass is 137.33 amu.
Chemical properties of barium
- Barium is a reactive metal and because of this reason, it is always found as a compound with other elements.
- Barium reacts with water to form barium hydroxide.
- There are 2 valence electrons in barium and it loses these 2 valence electrons to become stable.
- Barium reacts with oxygen to form barium oxide.
Uses of barium
Here are some uses of the barium element.
- Barium is highly reactive to oxygen and because of this reason, barium is used to remove the oxygen gas present in the vacuum tubes.
- Barium nitrate and barium chlorate can produce green color, so they are used in fireworks.
- Various engine parts like spark plug, bearings, etc contain barium metal as an alloying element.
- Barium has an ability to absorb X-rays, so it is also used in X-rays absorber.
- Barium sulfate is used in making glass, rubber, drilling fluids, etc.
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