Periodic Table

Strontium

Alkaline Earth Metal

Quick Facts about Strontium

Rb
  • solid- state of matter at room temperature
  • Stable- has at least one stable isotope
  • +2- common oxidation states in compounds
  • FCC- crystal structure, atomic arrangement in solid form
Y

Strontium (Sr) is element 38 on the periodic table. Atomic mass of Sr: 87.6200 u. Sr is in period 5, group 2. Melting point of Sr: 1050.00 K.Density of Sr: 2.64 g/cm³.

Why Strontium Matters

Strontium in everyday life and industry

In Your Home

  • Red fireworks get their color from strontium compounds
  • Glow-in-the-dark items use strontium aluminate
  • Old CRT television screens contained strontium
  • Toothpaste for sensitive teeth may contain strontium

Industry Uses

PyrotechnicsStrontium carbonate and nitrate produce brilliant red colors in flares and fireworks
ElectronicsStrontium ferrite makes ceramic magnets for speakers, motors, and refrigerator magnets
GlassCRT screens used strontium oxide to block X-ray emissions from cathode rays
Oil & GasStrontium compounds in drilling muds help control well pressure

In Your Body

✗ Not essential

Not essential, but mimics calcium and accumulates in bones. Strontium ranelate was a drug for osteoporosis (now restricted). This bone-seeking behavior is why radioactive Sr-90 is so dangerous.

Safety: Radioactive strontium-90 from nuclear fallout is dangerous

Discovery of Strontium

Discovered by A. Crawford in Scotland, 1790

Name origin: From the Scottish town, Strontian.

History & Events

1790
Named after Strontian, a village in Scotland
1790
Discovered in 1790 by Adair Crawford
1790
Strontium-90 from nuclear testing became a Cold War concern
1790
The mineral strontianite was found near Strontian

About Strontium

Soft yellowish metallic element, belongs to group 2 of the periodic table. Highly reactive chemically. Sr-90 is present in radioactive fallout and has a half-life of 28 years. Discovered in 1798 by Klaproth and Hope, isolated in 1808 by Humphry Davy.

Atomic Properties of Sr

Atomic Number of Sr
38
Atomic Mass of Sr
87.6200 u
Electron Configuration
[Kr] 5s2
Electronegativity
0.95
Block
s-block
Group
2
Period
5

Physical Properties of Sr

Phase (STP)
solid
Melting Point of Sr
1050.00 K
Boiling Point of Sr
1650.00 K
Density of Sr
2.6400 g/cm3

Thermal Properties

Heat of Fusion
9.20 kJ/mol
Heat of Vaporization
144.00 kJ/mol
Specific Heat
0.31 J/g·K
Molar Heat Capacity
26.79 J/mol·K

Atomic Radii

Calculated
200 pm
Covalent
185 pm
Van der Waals
249 pm
Metallic
191 pm

Common Misconceptions

Wrong:All strontium is radioactive and dangerous.
Correct:Only Sr-90 from nuclear fallout is radioactive. Stable strontium is safely used in fireworks, magnets, and even toothpaste.
Wrong:Strontium has no medical uses.
Correct:Strontium ranelate was prescribed for osteoporosis, and strontium chloride is used in toothpaste for sensitive teeth.
Wrong:Strontium-90 is dangerous only because it's radioactive.
Correct:It's doubly dangerous: radioactive AND bone-seeking. It replaces calcium in bones, irradiating bone marrow for years.

Isotopes of Strontium

Strontium has 4 naturally occurring isotopes.

IsotopeAtomic Mass (u)AbundanceHalf-LifeDecay Mode
8438Sr (Sr-84)Strontium-84 isotope83.91341910.5600%
8638Sr (Sr-86)Strontium-86 isotope85.90926069.860%
8738Sr (Sr-87)Strontium-87 isotope86.90887757.000%
8838Sr (Sr-88)Strontium-88 isotope87.905612582.58%

Data source: NIH PubChem (aggregated from IUPAC, NIST)

Isotope Applications

Isotopes of Strontium have important real-world applications in science and industry.

Geochronology & Dating

The 87Rb- 87Sr dating technique utilizes the fact that 87Sr is a product of radioactive 87Rb decay (half-life of 4.97×1010 years) and is a useful tool for determining ages of rocks and minerals spanning the age of the Earth (Fig. IUPAC.38.2) [301].

Abundance

Earth's Crust
370.0 mg/kg
Seawater
7.9 mg/L

Uses

Used in flares and fireworks for crimson color. Strontium-90 is a long lived highly radioactive fallout product of atomic-bomb explosions.

Sources

Found in minerals celestite and strontianite.

Geochemistry

Goldschmidt
litophile
Geochemical Class
alkaline earth metal

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