Molybdenum
A high-melting metal that strengthens steel and catalysts.
Inside the Molybdenum 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 Molybdenum atom step by step.
Electron configuration
[Kr] 4d5 5s1
A neutral Molybdenum atom has 42 electrons (equal to its proton count). Choosing a different isotope above changes only the neutron count.
Shell distribution
Electrons fill inner shells before outer ones; the outermost (valence) shell drives the element's chemistry.
Physical & atomic properties
- State (room temp)
- Solid
- Melting point
- 2896 K (2623 °C)
- Boiling point
- 4912 K (4639 °C)
- Density
- 10.22 g/cm³
- Electronegativity
- 2.16 Pauling
- Atomic radius
- 145 pm
- 1st ionization energy
- 684 kJ/mol
- Category
- Transition metals
Discovery & naming
- Discovered
- 1781
- Discovered by
- Peter Jacob Hjelm
- Origin of name
- Greek 'molybdos', meaning lead.
Notable uses
High-strength steel, catalysts, and lubricants.
Where Molybdenum comes from
Several comparable sources
Both slow neutron capture in dying stars and rapid capture in explosive events contribute meaningfully.
Simplified origin map — many elements form through more than one astrophysical pathway.
Summary
- Atomic number
- 42
- Atomic mass
- 95.95
- Category
- Transition metals
- Group · Period
- 6 · 5
- Block
- d-block
- Shells
- 2 · 8 · 18 · 13 · 1