Atomic Properties of Fe
- Atomic Number of Fe
- 26
- Atomic Mass of Fe
- 55.8450 u
- Electron Configuration
- [Ar] 3d6 4s2
- Electronegativity
- 1.83
- Block
- d-block
- Group
- 8
- Period
- 4
Iron (Fe) is element 26 on the periodic table. Atomic mass of Fe: 55.8450 u. Fe is in period 4, group 8. Melting point of Fe: 1811.00 K.Density of Fe: 7.87 g/cm³.
The element that built civilization—from ancient swords to modern skyscrapers
Central atom in hemoglobin—carries oxygen in your blood. Essential for energy production in cells. Iron deficiency causes anemia. Your body contains about 4 grams of iron.
Discovered by Known to the ancients.,
Name origin: Anglo-Saxon: iron; symbol from Latin: ferrum (iron).
The symbol Fe comes from "Ferrum," the Latin word for iron. The English name "Iron" derives from the Old English "īsern" and Proto-Germanic origins, possibly related to early Celtic words.
Silvery malleable and ductile metallic transition element. Has nine isotopes and is the fourth most abundant element in the earth's crust. Required by living organisms as a trace element (used in hemoglobin in humans.) Quite reactive, oxidizes in moist air, displaces hydrogen from dilute acids and combines with nonmetallic elements.
Iron has 4 naturally occurring isotopes, plus 3 notable radioactive isotopes.
| Isotope | Atomic Mass (u) | Abundance | Half-Life | Decay Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5226Fe (Fe-52)Iron-52 isotope | 51.948114 | 0% | 8.3 hours | β⁺, EC |
| 5426Fe (Fe-54)Iron-54 isotope | 53.93960899 | 5.845% | — | — |
| 5526Fe (Fe-55)Iron-55 isotope | 54.9382934 | 0% | 2.74 years | EC |
| 5626Fe (Fe-56)Iron-56 isotope | 55.93493633 | 91.75% | — | — |
| 5726Fe (Fe-57)Iron-57 isotope | 56.93539284 | 2.119% | — | — |
| 5826Fe (Fe-58)Iron-58 isotope | 57.93327443 | 0.2820% | — | — |
| 6026Fe (Fe-60)Iron-60 isotope | 59.934072 | 0% | 2.6 million years | β⁻ |
Data source: NIH PubChem (aggregated from IUPAC, NIST)
Isotopes of Iron have important real-world applications in science and industry.
55Fe is a beta emitting nuclide that serves as an electron source together with 63Ni (with a half-life of 99 years) in electron-capture detectors. Electron-capture detectors are used as thickness gauges or as detectors for organic analytes in gas chromatography [218].
52Fe, with a half-life of 8.3 h, emits positrons and is used in positron emission tomography (PET) studies. It can be produced in a cyclotron from stable 50Cr by alpha particle capture [99], [219], [220].
Used in steel and other alloys. Essential for humans. It is the chief constituent of hemoglobin which carries oxygen in blood vessels. Its oxides are used in magnetic tapes and disks.
Obtained from iron ores. Pure metal produced in blast furnaces by layering limestone, coke and iron ore and forcing hot gasses into the bottom. This heats the coke red hot and the iron is reduced from its oxides and liquified where it flows to the bottom
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