The Element Barium


Due to the high reactivity to air, this element is never found in its pure state on earth. Barium is primarily found and extracted from mineral barite.

Barium has some medical and many industrial uses. Barium compounds, and especially barite, are extremely important for the petroleum industry. Barium sulfate is used for medical imaging, taking X-ray images of digestive system to be precise. Barium carbonate is used for making rat poisons and also used for making bricks. Barium carbonate is used in glassmaking and it increases the reflective index and luster of the glass.

Atomic Number & Chemical Properties


Element Basics:

Chemical Symbol: Ba
Atomic Number: 56
Atomic Weight: 137.327
Element Classification: Alkaline-earth Metal
Discovered By: Sir Humphrey Davy
Date of Discovery: 1808 (England)
Origin of Name: Greek: barys (heavy or dense).

How to Recognize it at a Party:

Soft, slightly malleable, silver-white metal

Seriously Atomic Information:

Density (g/cc): 3.5
Melting Point (°K): 1002
Boiling Point (°K): 1910
Atomic Radius (pm): 222
Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 39.0
Covalent Radius (pm): 198
Ionic Radius: 134 (+2e)
Pauling Negativity Number: 0.89
First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 502.5
Oxidation States: 2
Electronic Configuration: [Xe] 6s2

Getting Intimate with Barium:

Lattice Structure: Body-Centered Cubic (BCC)
Lattice Constant (Å): 5.020
Lattice C/A Ratio: n/a
Specific Heat (@20°C J/g mol): 0.192
Fusion Heat (kJ/mol): 7.66
Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): 142.0
Thermal Conductivity (@25°C W/m K):
Debye Temperature (°K): n/a


Society's Questions About Barium:

Have you ever wondered what everyone else in the world thinks about Barium? 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 Barium. Are your questions the same or different from everyone else's?

Top Barium Topics:

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