Cm
Curium
Atomic number: 96Mass: 247 uCategory: Actinide
About Curium
Curium is a hard, dense, silvery metal with a relatively high melting point and boiling point for an actinide. It is named after Marie and Pierre Curie. It is intensely radioactive and is produced in nuclear reactors.
Properties
Period
7
Group
N/A
Block
F
Category
Actinide
Electronegativity
1.30 (Pauling)
Ionization Energy
581 kJ/mol
Melting Point
1618 K (1345°C)
Boiling Point
3383 K (3110°C)
Density
13.51 g/cm³
Oxidation States
+3
Electron Configuration
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 4f¹⁴ 5s² 5p⁶ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁶ 5f⁷ 6d¹ 7s²
[Rn] 5f⁷ 6d¹ 7s²
Shell 1:2e⁻
Shell 2:8e⁻
Shell 3:18e⁻
Shell 4:32e⁻
Shell 5:25e⁻
Shell 6:9e⁻
Shell 7:2e⁻
Real-World Uses
Mars rover X-ray spectrometers (Cm-244)
Alpha-particle X-ray spectrometers
RTG power sources
Research
Neutron sources
Fun Fact
Curium was named in honour of Marie and Pierre Curie — it was actually discovered before Pierre's element curium was named after Marie!