Boron
Metalloid · atomic number 5
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BBoron
Boron is a metalloid chemical element with symbol B and atomic number 5. Produced entirely by cosmic ray spallation and supernovae and not by stellar nucleosynthesis, it is a low-abundance element in both the Solar system and the Earth's crust. Boron is concentrated on Earth by the water-solubility of its more common naturally occurring compounds, the borate minerals.
Properties of Boron
| Element category | Metalloid |
|---|---|
| Atomic number | 5 |
| Atomic mass | 10.81 u |
| Phase at STP | Solid |
| Group | 13 |
| Period | 2 |
| Block | p |
| Electron configuration | [He] 2s2 2p1 |
| Electrons per shell | 2, 3 |
| Electronegativity (Pauling) | 2.04 |
| Melting point | 2349 K (2076 °C) |
| Boiling point | 4200 K (3927 °C) |
| Density | 2.08 g/cm3 |
| Discovered by | Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac |
← Beryllium · Periodic table · Carbon → C
About the metalloid group
In-between elements that behave as semiconductors: silicon, germanium and boron underpin electronics, glass and solar cells.
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