Germanium (Ge)
Germanium is element 32, a metalloid in group 14, period 4. A neutral atom has 32 protons, 41 neutrons and 32 electrons, 4 of them valence electrons.
Metalloid- Atomic number
- 32
- Atomic mass
- 72.63 u
- Valence electrons
- 4
- Protons · neutrons
- 32 · 41
- Electrons per shell
- 2, 8, 18, 4
- At room temperature
- solid
Bohr model of germanium
The Bohr model draws germanium as a nucleus of 32 protons and 41 neutrons, with its 32 electrons on 4 circular shells: 2 in shell 1, 8 in shell 2, 18 in shell 3, 4 in shell 4. Press Build the atom to watch the shells fill from the inside out. The outer ring (the N shell) is dashed: the electrons there are the ones that take part in chemistry.
Real electrons don't travel in neat circles. They live in fuzzy orbitals, shown below, but the Bohr picture is the quickest way to count shells and valence electrons.
Electron configuration of germanium
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p²
Short form (noble gas notation): [Ar] 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p². The [Ar] stands for the electrons of argon, the noble gas before it.
How many valence electrons does germanium have?
Germanium has 4 valence electrons.
Germanium is in group 14, and for groups 13–18 you subtract 10 from the group number: 14 − 10 = 4. It tends to share electrons in covalent bonds.
Protons, neutrons and electrons
| Protons | 32 | equal to the atomic number |
|---|---|---|
| Electrons | 32 | equal to the protons in a neutral atom |
| Neutrons | 41 | mass number 73 − 32 protons |
Atoms of the same element can have different numbers of neutrons (isotopes). The count above uses the rounded atomic mass, the way it's taught in class.
Germanium properties
| Symbol | Ge |
|---|---|
| Category | Metalloid |
| Group · period · block | 14 · 4 · p |
| Atomic mass | 72.63 u |
| State at 25 °C | solid |
| Melting point | 1,211 K (938 °C, 1,720 °F) |
| Boiling point | 3,106 K (2,830 °C, 5,130 °F) |
| Density | 5.323 g/cm³ |
| Electronegativity (Pauling) | 2.01 |
| Atomic radius | 211 pm |
| First ionization energy | 7.9 eV |
| Electron affinity | 1.35 eV |
| Oxidation states | +4, +2 |
| Common ion charge | +4, +2 |
| Discovered | 1886 by Clemens Winkler |
Where germanium sits on the periodic table
Group 14: Carbon, Silicon, Tin, Lead, Flerovium.
Questions about germanium
How many valence electrons does germanium have?
Germanium has 4 valence electrons.
How many protons, neutrons and electrons does germanium have?
A neutral germanium atom has 32 protons and 32 electrons. Its most common form has about 41 neutrons (mass number 73 − 32 protons).
What is the electron configuration of germanium?
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p², written in short form as [Ar] 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p².
What does the Bohr model of germanium look like?
A nucleus of 32 protons and 41 neutrons, circled by 4 electron shells holding 2, 8, 18, 4 electrons.
What is the atomic number of germanium?
32. The atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus, and it is what makes an atom germanium.