Actinides
Curium
A radioactive metal that glows from its own intense decay.
Atomic #96Mass[247]Blockf-blockPeriod7Group—
Cm96 · [247]
3D Atom Explorer
Inside the Curium atom
Switch between Bohr and Quantum Cloud modes to compare a simple teaching model with a more realistic probability-based view, and follow the guided tour to explore the Curium atom step by step.
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Electron configuration
[Rn] 5f7 6d1 7s2
A neutral Curium atom has 96 electrons (equal to its proton count). Choosing a different isotope above changes only the neutron count.
Shell distribution
Shell 12 e⁻Shell 28 e⁻Shell 318 e⁻Shell 432 e⁻Shell 525 e⁻Shell 69 e⁻Shell 72 e⁻
Electrons fill inner shells before outer ones; the outermost (valence) shell drives the element's chemistry.
Properties
Physical & atomic properties
- State (room temp)
- Solid
- Melting point
- 1613 K (1340 °C)
- Boiling point
- 3383 K (3110 °C)
- Density
- 13.51 g/cm³
- Electronegativity
- 1.28 Pauling
- Atomic radius
- —
- 1st ionization energy
- 581 kJ/mol
- Category
- Actinides
History
Discovery & naming
- Discovered
- 1944
- Discovered by
- Glenn Seaborg and colleagues
- Origin of name
- Marie and Pierre Curie.
Notable uses
Spacecraft power sources and research.
Cosmic origin
Where Curium comes from
Human synthesis
Produced in reactors and accelerators by bombarding lighter actinides.
Simplified origin map — many elements form through more than one astrophysical pathway.
Summary
- Atomic number
- 96
- Atomic mass
- [247]
- Category
- Actinides
- Group · Period
- — · 7
- Block
- f-block
- Shells
- 2 · 8 · 18 · 32 · 25 · 9 · 2