Platinum
A precious, unreactive metal central to catalysis and jewelry.
Inside the Platinum 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 Platinum atom step by step.
Electron configuration
[Xe] 4f14 5d9 6s1
A neutral Platinum atom has 78 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
- 2041 K (1768 °C)
- Boiling point
- 4098 K (3825 °C)
- Density
- 21.46 g/cm³
- Electronegativity
- 2.28 Pauling
- Atomic radius
- 135 pm
- 1st ionization energy
- 870 kJ/mol
- Category
- Transition metals
Discovery & naming
- Discovered
- 1735
- Discovered by
- Antonio de Ulloa
- Origin of name
- Spanish 'platina', meaning little silver.
Notable uses
Catalytic converters, jewellery, and lab equipment.
Where Platinum comes from
Neutron star mergers
Neutron star mergers are considered a major source. Some supernova environments may contribute as well.
Simplified origin map — many elements form through more than one astrophysical pathway.
Summary
- Atomic number
- 78
- Atomic mass
- 195.08
- Category
- Transition metals
- Group · Period
- 10 · 6
- Block
- d-block
- Shells
- 2 · 8 · 18 · 32 · 17 · 1