V
Vanadium
Atomic number: 23Mass: 50.942 uCategory: Transition Metal
About Vanadium
Vanadium is a hard, silvery-grey, ductile transition metal. It occurs in about 65 different minerals. Adding small amounts to steel creates an extremely strong alloy used in tools and structural steel.
Properties
Period
4
Group
5
Block
D
Category
Transition Metal
Electronegativity
1.63 (Pauling)
Ionization Energy
650.9 kJ/mol
Melting Point
2183 K (1910°C)
Boiling Point
3680 K (3407°C)
Density
6 g/cm³
Oxidation States
+2, +3, +4, +5
Electron Configuration
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d³ 4s²
[Ar] 3d³ 4s²
Shell 1:2e⁻
Shell 2:8e⁻
Shell 3:11e⁻
Shell 4:2e⁻
Real-World Uses
Steel alloys (tools)
Vanadium redox batteries
Aerospace
Catalysts
Pigments
Fun Fact
Vanadium was named after Vanadis (Freyja), the Norse goddess of beauty — its compounds form strikingly colourful solutions!