Cadmium is a silvery-white and soft metal that belongs to the group of zinc and mercury. Let us discuss the chemical properties of cadmium.
Cadmium is found as a minor component or impurity in zinc ores and is obtained as the by-product of zinc production. This soft, malleable, and ductile metal makes up about 0.1 ppm of the total earth’s crust. It is inflammable and does not dissolve in water.
Let us explore the melting, boiling point, position in the periodic table, isotopes, radius, and ionization energies with some more relevant topics on cadmium.
Cadmium Symbol
The symbol is one type of abbreviation used to write the chemical element in chemistry. Let us see the symbol of cadmium.
The chemical symbol of cadmium is Cd. This form comes from the first and the third alphabet of the word “cadmium”. We cannot use the first and second alphabet as “Ca” is used to write the chemical element calcium in the periodic table.
Cadmium Group in Periodic Table
There are different groups in the periodic table which is defined as a column of chemical elements. Let us predict the group of cadmium.
Cadmium belongs to group 12 (IIb). There are other three elements, zinc, mercury, and copernicium in this group along with cadmium.
Cadmium Period in Periodic Table
The position of any chemical element is defined by group and period which is the row of the elements, in the periodic table. Let us predict the period of Cd.
Cadmium belongs to the 5th period between silver (Ag) and indium (In) in the periodic table.
Cadmium Block in Periodic Table
The block of the periodic table is the set of chemical elements which carry almost the same properties. Let us determine the block of Cd in the periodic table.
Cadmium is regarded as a d-block element in the periodic table because it has fully occupied d-orbital in its electron configuration.
Cadmium Atomic Number
The atomic number is the nuclear charge of the element which is described by the total number of protons in the nucleus. Let us determine it.
Cadmium has 48 protons in its nucleus which defines that the atomic number of cadmium is 48. To be electrically neutral, it also has 48 electrons around the nucleus.
Cadmium Atomic Weight
The mass of an atom (mass of nucleus + mass of total electrons) is the atomic weight of any chemical element. It is expressed in “atomic mass unit”. Let us determine it.
Cadmium has an atomic weight of 112.411 amu (atomic mass unit) which is the weight of one cadmium atom.
Cadmium Electronegativity According to Pauling
The capability of the pulling of electron pairs in a bond is defined as electronegativity. Let us explain it.
The electronegativity of cadmium is 1.69 according to the Pauling scale.
Cadmium Atomic Density
The atomic density is obtained through the ratio of atomic mass and atomic volume. Let us calculate it.
Cadmium has an atomic density of 8.65 g/cm3 but it has a density of 4.047 g/cm3.
Cadmium Melting Point
The melting point defines a definite or sharp point at which a solid substance is converted into its liquid form. Let us discuss the melting point of cadmium.
The melting point of cadmium is 3210 C or 594 K which is not very much high.
Cadmium Boiling Point
The boiling point depicts a particular temperature at which the liquid state is converted into a gaseous state. Let us determine it
Cadmium has a boiling point of 7650 C.
Cadmium Van der Waals Radius
Van der Waals radius is defined by the one-half of the distance between two unbonded atoms. Let us explain it.
Cadmium has a Van der Waals radius of 158 pm but the atomic radius is quite smaller than the Van der Waals radius, 154 pm.
Cadmium Ionic/Covalent Radius
The radius of the monoatomic ion is defined as the ionic radius. Let us determine it.
Cadmium (Cd2+) has an ionic radius of 109 pm or 0.109 nm which is much smaller than the Van der Waals and atomic radius.
Cadmium Isotopes
The isotopes have the same number of protons but they vary in the number of neutrons and atomic mass. Let us determine the isotopes of cadmium.
| Isotopes | Abundance (in %) | Decay mode |
|---|---|---|
| 106Cd | 1.25 | stable |
| 107Cd | Syn | ε |
| 108Cd | 0.89 | stable |
| 109Cd | Syn | ε |
| 110Cd | 12.47 | stable |
| 111Cd | 12.80 | stable |
| 112Cd | 24.11 | stable |
| 113Cd | 12.23 | β– |
| 113mCd | Syn | β– |
| 114Cd | 28.75 | stable |
| 115Cd | Syn | β– |
| 116Cd | 7.51 | β– β– |
Cadmium Electronic Shell
Electrons are revolving around some definite energy levels. Those energy states are defined as electronic shells. Let us calculate the number of electronic shells.
Cadmium has five electronic shells which contain 2, 8, 18, 18, and 2 electrons in the respective valence shells.
Cadmium Energy of First Ionization
First ionization energy is the energy needed to convert a neutral species to a unipositive species by removing a valence electron. atom. Let us determine the 1st ionization energy of Cd.
The first ionization energy of cadmium is 8.9937 eV.
Cadmium Energy of Second Ionization
The second ionization energy is the external energy required to convert a unipositive ion to a dipositive ion. X+ = X2+ + 2e–. Let us determine this.
The 2nd ionization energy of cadmium is 1631 KJ/mol.
Cadmium Energy of Third Ionization
The energy required to obtain the tripositive ion from a dipositive ion is defined as the 3rd ionization energy. Let us see the 3rd ionization energy of Cd.
The third ionization energy of cadmium is 3616 KJ/mol.
Cadmium Oxidation States
An oxidation state is a number that describes how many electrons are gained or lost by the chemical element. Let us determine it.
Cadmium can only be present in the +2 oxidation state. The two electrons can easily be eliminated 5s orbital and Cd attains a fulfilled d orbital (4d10).
Cadmium Electron Configurations
Electron configuration is the arrangement of the electrons in different shells of any chemical element. Let us explain it in detail.
Cadmium has the electron configuration 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2.
Cadmium CAS Number
The CAS registry number is a unique number that provides an unmistakable identifier of any chemical element. Let us find it.
The CAS number of cadmium is 7440-43-9.
Cadmium ChemSpider ID
ChemSpider ID is a free structural database of the Royal Society of Chemistry that provides different information about the structure. Let us see this.
Cadmium has ChemSpider ID is 22410.
Cadmium Chemical Classification
Chemical classification is executed depending on the properties (physical and chemical) of the element. Let us determine the chemical classification of Cd.
Cadmium is a zinc group element. It cannot be classified as a transition metal because it has no incompletely filled d-orbital.
Cadmium State at Room Temperature
The melting and boiling point determine the physical state of any element. Let us discuss the state of cadmium at room temperature.
Cadmium is present as a solid substance as it has a relatively higher boiling and melting point greater than room temperature.
Is cadmium paramagnetic?
Paramagnetism is proved by the presence of one or more than one unpaired electron. Let us see whether Cd is paramagnetic or not.
Cadmium is not a paramagnetic substance because it has no unpaired electrons (4d10 5s2) in its electron configuration. Therefore, it is a diamagnetic element.
Conclusion
Cadmium is isolated from zinc ores and it has different uses in various fields. Most of the cadmium is used in rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries and electroplating. Different compounds of cadmium are used in television and semiconductors.
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I am Aditi Ray, a chemistry SME on this platform. I have completed graduation in Chemistry from the University of Calcutta and post graduation from Techno India University with a specialization in Inorganic Chemistry. I am very happy to be a part of the Lambdageeks family and I would like to explain the subject in a simplistic way.
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