Palladium
A precious metal that absorbs hydrogen and aids catalysis.
Inside the Palladium 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 Palladium atom step by step.
Electron configuration
[Kr] 4d10
A neutral Palladium atom has 46 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
- 1828 K (1555 °C)
- Boiling point
- 3236 K (2963 °C)
- Density
- 12.02 g/cm³
- Electronegativity
- 2.2 Pauling
- Atomic radius
- 140 pm
- 1st ionization energy
- 804 kJ/mol
- Category
- Transition metals
Discovery & naming
- Discovered
- 1803
- Discovered by
- William Hyde Wollaston
- Origin of name
- The asteroid Pallas.
Notable uses
Catalytic converters, electronics, and dentistry.
Where Palladium 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
- 46
- Atomic mass
- 106.42
- Category
- Transition metals
- Group · Period
- 10 · 5
- Block
- d-block
- Shells
- 2 · 8 · 18 · 18