Niobium
A soft metal key to superconducting magnets.
Inside the Niobium 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 Niobium atom step by step.
Electron configuration
[Kr] 4d4 5s1
A neutral Niobium atom has 41 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
- 2750 K (2477 °C)
- Boiling point
- 5017 K (4744 °C)
- Density
- 8.57 g/cm³
- Electronegativity
- 1.6 Pauling
- Atomic radius
- 145 pm
- 1st ionization energy
- 652 kJ/mol
- Category
- Transition metals
Discovery & naming
- Discovered
- 1801
- Discovered by
- Charles Hatchett
- Origin of name
- Niobe of Greek mythology.
Notable uses
Superconducting magnets and high-strength steel.
Where Niobium 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
- 41
- Atomic mass
- 92.906
- Category
- Transition metals
- Group · Period
- 5 · 5
- Block
- d-block
- Shells
- 2 · 8 · 18 · 12 · 1