Nihonium (Nh)
Nihonium is element 113, a post-transition metal in group 13, period 7. A neutral atom has 113 protons, 173 neutrons and 113 electrons, 3 of them valence electrons. Many of its properties are predicted, because only a few atoms have ever been made.
Post-transition metal- Atomic number
- 113
- Atomic mass
- [286] u
- Valence electrons
- 3
- Protons · neutrons
- 113 · 173
- Electrons per shell
- 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 18, 3
- At room temperature
- solid (expected)
Bohr model of nihonium
The Bohr model draws nihonium as a nucleus of 113 protons and 173 neutrons, with its 113 electrons on 7 circular shells: 2 in shell 1, 8 in shell 2, 18 in shell 3, 32 in shell 4, 32 in shell 5, 18 in shell 6, 3 in shell 7. Press Build the atom to watch the shells fill from the inside out. The outer ring (the Q 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 nihonium
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p⁶ 6s² 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6p⁶ 7s² 5f¹⁴ 6d¹⁰ 7p¹
Short form (noble gas notation): [Rn] 7s² 5f¹⁴ 6d¹⁰ 7p¹. The [Rn] stands for the electrons of radon, the noble gas before it.
This configuration is predicted from calculations; it has not been measured.
How many valence electrons does nihonium have?
Nihonium has 3 valence electrons.
Nihonium is in group 13, and for groups 13–18 you subtract 10 from the group number: 13 − 10 = 3. It tends to lose them and form a +3 ion.
Protons, neutrons and electrons
| Protons | 113 | equal to the atomic number |
|---|---|---|
| Electrons | 113 | equal to the protons in a neutral atom |
| Neutrons | 173 | mass number 286 − 113 protons (for its longest-lived isotope, Nh-286) |
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.
Nihonium properties
| Symbol | Nh |
|---|---|
| Category | Post-transition metal |
| Group · period · block | 13 · 7 · p |
| Atomic mass | [286] u |
| State at 25 °C | solid (expected) |
| Melting point | — |
| Boiling point | — |
| Density | — |
| Electronegativity (Pauling) | — |
| Atomic radius | — |
| First ionization energy | — |
| Electron affinity | — |
| Oxidation states | — |
| Common ion charge | +3 |
| Discovered | 2004 by RIKEN |
Where nihonium sits on the periodic table
Group 13: Boron, Aluminum, Gallium, Indium, Thallium.
Questions about nihonium
How many valence electrons does nihonium have?
Nihonium has 3 valence electrons.
How many protons, neutrons and electrons does nihonium have?
A neutral nihonium atom has 113 protons and 113 electrons. Its most common form has about 173 neutrons (mass number 286 − 113 protons).
What is the electron configuration of nihonium?
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p⁶ 6s² 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6p⁶ 7s² 5f¹⁴ 6d¹⁰ 7p¹, written in short form as [Rn] 7s² 5f¹⁴ 6d¹⁰ 7p¹. This configuration is predicted, not measured.
What does the Bohr model of nihonium look like?
A nucleus of 113 protons and 173 neutrons, circled by 7 electron shells holding 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 18, 3 electrons.
What is the atomic number of nihonium?
113. The atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus, and it is what makes an atom nihonium.