Iron (Fe) – Periodic Table [Element Information & More]

iron element periodic table

Iron element (Fe) is in group 8 and period 4 of a periodic table. Iron is in the d-block and it is classified as a transition element on the periodic table.

There is a lot more information related to iron which is mentioned in the Information Table given below.

So let’s dive right into it!

Table of contents

Iron Element (Information Table)

The important data related to iron element is given in the table below.

Appearance of ironShiny metallic gray color
Atomic number of iron26
Symbol of ironFe
Atomic mass of iron55.845 u
Protons, Neutrons & Electrons in ironProtons: 26, Neutrons: 30, Electrons: 26
State of iron (at STP)Solid
Group number of iron in periodic table8
Period number of iron in periodic table4
Block of iron in periodic tabled-block
Category of ironTransition metals
Bohr model or Electrons per shell or Electrons arrangement in iron2, 8, 14, 2
Electron configuration of iron[Ar] 3d6 4s2
Orbital diagram of ironorbital diagram of iron
Electronegativity of iron (on pauling scale)1.83
Atomic radius of iron (van der Waals radius)194 picometers
Density of iron7.875 g/cm3
1st ionization energy of iron7.902 eV
Main isotope of iron56Fe
Melting point of iron1811 K or 1538 °C or 2800 °F
Boiling point of iron3134 K or 2862 °C or 5182 °F
Crystal structure of ironBody Centered Cubic (BCC)
Discovery of ironBefore 5000 BC

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).

Iron element in Periodic table

The Iron element (Fe) has the atomic number 26 and is located in group 8 and period 4. Iron is a metal and it is classified as a transition element.

Click on above elements in the periodic table to see their information.

Facts about iron

Here are a few interesting facts about iron element.

  1. Iron is the 4th most abundant element (by weight) present in the earth’s crust.
  2. Iron is a very ancient element (discovered around 5000 years ago) and it has been used for a very long time.
  3. There is a large amount of iron oxides on the planet Mars, which makes it look reddish in color.
  4. Most of the iron is present in the outer core as well as inner core of the earth’s crust.
  5. Sun, stars as well as meteors also contain iron element.
  6. Iron is very essential for living organisms. Plants use iron in the production of chlorophyll, while in animals the iron is a component of hemoglobin.
  7. Most of the iron is used in manufacturing of steels.
  8. China, Australia and Brazil are the largest producers of iron in the world.
  9. Iron is the most used metal on the earth and it is abundant and cheap.

Properties of iron

Here is a list of some physical properties and chemical properties of iron.

Physical properties of iron

  • Iron is a metal and it has a lustrous metallic appearance.
  • The iron element has many isotopes and the most abundant isotope is 56Fe. Its abundance is around 92%.
  • The melting point and boiling point of iron is 1811 K and 3134 K respectively.
  • The crystal structure iron is BCC.
  • Iron is the naturally occurring magnetic element on the earth.

Chemical properties of iron

  • Pure iron is reactive and it is not found in its free state from the earth’s crust. It is always found as a compound with other elements.
  • Iron is classified as a transition metal on the periodic table as it has incompletely filled d-orbitals. Its electronic configuration is [Ar] 3d6 4s2.
  • Iron reacts with moisture and oxygen and forms a rust.
  • Iron also gets corroded due to higher temperatures.
  • The iron burns with a golden flame in a flame test.

Uses of iron

Here are some uses of the iron element.

  • Steels are made from iron, and these steels are used in construction work and other manufacturing works.
  • Stainless steel also contains iron in it. The stainless steel has anticorrosive properties and so it is used in kitchen utensils.
  • Iron is also used in making magnets.
  • Steel made from iron is used in manufacturing of cars, ships, etc.
  • Iron is also used to produce colored sparks in some fireworks.

External resources:

  1. A. (2019, February 1). For February, it’s iron — atomic No. 26. For February, It’s Iron — Atomic No. 26. https://www.asbmb.org/asbmb-today/science/020119/for-february-it-s-iron-atomic-no-26
  2. Iron – Element information, properties and uses | Periodic Table. (n.d.). Iron – Element Information, Properties and Uses | Periodic Table. https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/26/iron
  3. It’s Elemental – The Element Iron. (n.d.). It’s Elemental – the Element Iron. https://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele026.html
  4. Frey, P. A., & Reed, G. H. (2012, August 27). The Ubiquity of Iron. ACS Chemical Biology, 7(9), 1477–1481. https://doi.org/10.1021/cb300323q
  5. Periodic Table of Elements: Los Alamos National Laboratory. (n.d.). Periodic Table of Elements: Los Alamos National Laboratory. https://periodic.lanl.gov/26.shtml
  6. Atomic Data for Iron (Fe). (n.d.). Atomic Data for Iron (Fe). https://physics.nist.gov/PhysRefData/Handbook/Tables/irontable1.htm
  7. Iron | Fe | ChemSpider. (n.d.). Iron | Fe | ChemSpider. http://www.chemspider.com/Chemical-Structure.22368.html?rid=dd269474-3473-4682-94be-de81febf854b&page_num=0
  8. James A. M. & Lord M. P. (1992). Macmillan’s chemical and physical data. Macmillan.
  9. Zhang, Y., Evans, J. R. G., & Yang, S. (2011, January 11). Corrected Values for Boiling Points and Enthalpies of Vaporization of Elements in Handbooks. Journal of Chemical & Engineering Data, 56(2), 328–337. https://doi.org/10.1021/je1011086
  10. Possolo, A., van der Veen, A. M. H., Meija, J., & Hibbert, D. B. (2018, January 4). Interpreting and propagating the uncertainty of the standard atomic weights (IUPAC Technical Report). Pure and Applied Chemistry, 90(2), 395–424. https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2016-0402
  11. Haynes, W. M. (Ed.). (2014, June 4). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. https://doi.org/10.1201/b17118
  12. Kaye, G W.C., & Laby, T H. Tables of physical and chemical constants. 15th Edition. United States.
  13. Sansonetti, J. E., & Martin, W. C. (2005, December). Handbook of Basic Atomic Spectroscopic Data. Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data, 34(4), 1559–2259. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1800011
  14. Bondi, A. (1964, March). van der Waals Volumes and Radii. The Journal of Physical Chemistry, 68(3), 441–451. https://doi.org/10.1021/j100785a001
  15. Holden, et al. (2018, December 1). IUPAC Periodic Table of the Elements and Isotopes (IPTEI) for the Education Community (IUPAC Technical Report). Pure and Applied Chemistry, 90(12), 1833–2092. https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2015-0703
  16. Emsley, J. (2011). Nature’s Building Blocks: An A-Z Guide to the Elements. United Kingdom: OUP Oxford.
  17. Allred, A. (1961, June). Electronegativity values from thermochemical data. Journal of Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry, 17(3–4), 215–221. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1902(61)80142-5
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