The Element Ruthenium

Ruthenium is usually found associated with Platinum ores and catalyst in some platinum alloys while being a member of platinum group. But unlike Platinum, Ruthenium does oxidize once exposed to the air. Same as what Copper does to Gold, Ruthenium makes Platinum and palladium strengthened when mixed in small amounts.

Ruthenium is mainly mixed with Platinum and Palladium for making wear-resistant electrical contacts. This also may be mixed with gold when making jewelry. From 1944 onwards, the famous Parker 51 fountain pen is fitted with a nib, a 14K gold nib tipped with Ruthenium and Iridium. Due to the ability of absorbing light from the visible spectrum, Ruthenium is used for solar energy production experiments.

Atomic Number & Chemical Properties


Element Basics:

Chemical Symbol: Ru
Atomic Number: 44
Atomic Weight: 101.07
Element Classification: Transition Metal
Discovered By: Karl Klaus
Date of Discovery: 1844 (Russia)
Origin of Name: Latin: Ruthenia (Russia).

How to Recognize it at a Party:

Rare, silver-gray, extremely brittle metal

Seriously Atomic Information:

Density (g/cc): 12.41
Melting Point (°K): 2583
Boiling Point (°K): 4173
Atomic Radius (pm): 134
Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 8.3
Covalent Radius (pm): 125
Ionic Radius: 67 (+4e)
Pauling Negativity Number: 2.2
First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 710.3
Oxidation States: 8, 6, 4, 3, 2, 0, -2
Electronic Configuration: [Kr] 4d7 5s1

Getting Intimate with Ruthenium:

Lattice Structure: Hexagonal (HEX)
Lattice Constant (Å): 2.700
Lattice C/A Ratio: 1.584
Specific Heat (@20°C J/g mol): 0.238
Fusion Heat (kJ/mol): (25.5)
Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): n/a
Thermal Conductivity (@25°C W/m K):
Debye Temperature (°K): n/a


Society's Questions About Ruthenium:

Have you ever wondered what everyone else in the world thinks about Ruthenium? Is anyone else looking for it too? If so, why? What do they want?

The following list shows the most common online questions about the element Ruthenium. Are your questions the same or different from everyone else's?

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