
Germanium element (Ge) is in group 14 and period 4 of a periodic table. Germanium is in the p-block and it is classified as a metalloid on the periodic table.
There is a lot more information related to germanium which is mentioned in the Information Table given below.
So let’s dive right into it!
Table of contents
- Germanium element (Information Table)
- Germanium element in Periodic table
- Facts about Germanium
- Properties of Germanium
- Uses of Germanium
Germanium Element (Information Table)
The important data related to germanium element is given in the table below.
Appearance of germanium | Grayish white |
Atomic number of germanium | 32 |
Symbol of germanium | Ge |
Atomic mass of germanium | 72.630 u |
Protons, Neutrons & Electrons in germanium | Protons: 32, Neutrons: 41, Electrons: 32 |
State of germanium (at STP) | Solid |
Group number of germanium in periodic table | 14 |
Period number of germanium in periodic table | 4 |
Block of germanium in periodic table | p-block |
Category of germanium | Metalloids |
Bohr model or Electrons per shell or Electrons arrangement in germanium | 2, 8, 18, 4 |
Electron configuration of germanium | [Ar] 3d10 4s2 4p2 |
Orbital diagram of germanium | ![]() |
Valence electrons in germanium | 4 |
Electronegativity of germanium (on pauling scale) | 2.01 |
Atomic radius of germanium (van der Waals radius) | 211 picometers |
Density of germanium | 5.323 g/cm3 |
1st ionization energy of germanium | 7.9 eV |
Main isotope of germanium | 74Ge |
Melting point of germanium | 1211.40 K or 938.2 °C or 1720.8 °F |
Boiling point of germanium | 3106 K or 2833 °C or 5131 °F |
Crystal structure of germanium | Diamond cubic |
Discovery of germanium | By Clemens Winkler in 1886 |
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).
Germanium element in Periodic table
The Germanium element (Ge) has the atomic number 32 and is located in group 14 and period 4. Germanium is a metalloid and it is classified as a carbon group element.
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 germanium
Here are a few interesting facts about germanium element.
- The name Germanium was given on the basis of the Latin word “Germania” for Germany.
- The germanium element shows expansion on freezing, which is similar to the behavior of water on freezing.
- The existence of Germanium element was predicted by Mendeleev in 1869, and he named the predicted element as “eka-silicon”.
- The germanium present in the earth’s crust is around 1.5 ppm.
- Around 85% of the total germanium production is used in fiber optics.
- Germanium is largely produced in China.
- The semiconducting properties of germanium were discovered in 1945 and after this, the use of germanium has been increased.
Properties of germanium
Here is a list of some physical properties and chemical properties of germanium.
Physical properties of germanium
- Germanium is a metalloid having a lustrous grayish white appearance.
- Germanium is solid at room temperature and a hard-brittle metalloid.
- Germanium has a diamond cubic crystal structure.
- The melting point and boiling point of germanium is 938.2 °C and 2833 °C.
- Germanium has semiconducting properties. The electrical conductivity of germanium increases as its temperature increases.
Chemical properties of germanium
- Germanium oxidizes in the air at the temperature of 250 °C.
- Germanium forms oxides like GeO2 and GeO, when it reacts with oxygen.
- Germanium reacts with other chalcogens to form compounds like GeS2, GeS, GeSe2, etc.
- Some other compounds of germanium like germane (GeH4) and a few halides like GeF4, GeI4, GeCl4 are also known.
- Germanium is not soluble in alkalis and other dilute acids.
- Germanium dissolves in concentrated nitric acid and concentrated sulfuric acid.
- The most common oxidation state of germanium is +4. However, other oxidation states are also possible.
Uses of germanium
Here are some uses of the germanium element.
- Germanium is mostly used as a semiconductor in electronic devices.
- Germanium is also used in fiber optics cable.
- Wide angle camera lenses also used germanium.
- Germanium is also used in high efficiency solar panels.
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