Zinc (Zn)
Zinc is element 30, a transition metal in group 12, period 4. A neutral atom has 30 protons, 35 neutrons and 30 electrons, 2 of them valence electrons.
Transition metal- Atomic number
- 30
- Atomic mass
- 65.4 u
- Valence electrons
- 2*
- Protons · neutrons
- 30 · 35
- Electrons per shell
- 2, 8, 18, 2
- At room temperature
- solid
Bohr model of zinc
The Bohr model draws zinc as a nucleus of 30 protons and 35 neutrons, with its 30 electrons on 4 circular shells: 2 in shell 1, 8 in shell 2, 18 in shell 3, 2 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 zinc
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰
Short form (noble gas notation): [Ar] 4s² 3d¹⁰. The [Ar] stands for the electrons of argon, the noble gas before it.
How many valence electrons does zinc have?
Zinc has 2 valence electrons.
Zinc is a transition metal, so its valence electrons are less clear-cut than for main-group elements. It has 2 electrons in its outermost shell (shell 4), and electrons in its inner d subshell can also take part in bonding.
Protons, neutrons and electrons
| Protons | 30 | equal to the atomic number |
|---|---|---|
| Electrons | 30 | equal to the protons in a neutral atom |
| Neutrons | 35 | mass number 65 − 30 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.
Zinc properties
| Symbol | Zn |
|---|---|
| Category | Transition metal |
| Group · period · block | 12 · 4 · d |
| Atomic mass | 65.4 u |
| State at 25 °C | solid |
| Melting point | 692.7 K (420 °C, 787 °F) |
| Boiling point | 1,180 K (907 °C, 1,660 °F) |
| Density | 7.134 g/cm³ |
| Electronegativity (Pauling) | 1.65 |
| Atomic radius | 139 pm |
| First ionization energy | 9.394 eV |
| Electron affinity | — |
| Oxidation states | +2 |
| Common ion charge | +2 |
| Discovered | 1746 by India |
Where zinc sits on the periodic table
Group 12: Cadmium, Mercury, Copernicium.
Questions about zinc
How many valence electrons does zinc have?
Zinc has 2 valence electrons in its outer shell; inner d or f electrons can also bond.
How many protons, neutrons and electrons does zinc have?
A neutral zinc atom has 30 protons and 30 electrons. Its most common form has about 35 neutrons (mass number 65 − 30 protons).
What is the electron configuration of zinc?
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰, written in short form as [Ar] 4s² 3d¹⁰.
What does the Bohr model of zinc look like?
A nucleus of 30 protons and 35 neutrons, circled by 4 electron shells holding 2, 8, 18, 2 electrons.
What is the atomic number of zinc?
30. The atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus, and it is what makes an atom zinc.