Barium (Ba)
"The X-ray Visionary, a heavy hero who allows doctors to see inside the human body."
A memorable persona to anchor Ba in your mind.
3.51
Grams per cm³
727
Celsius (°C)
268
Radius (pm)
Daily Life Link
Barium is found in the contrast agent a patient drinks for a medical CT scan.
Discovery & History
Year Discovered
1774
Discovered By
Carl Wilhelm Scheele
Origin of Name
"The name comes from the Greek ''barys'', meaning heavy."
Technical Properties
Atomic Mass
137.327 u
Standard State
solid
Boiling Point
1845°C
Electron Configuration
[Xe] 6s2
1st Ionization Energy
5.212 eV
Electron Affinity
N/A
Oxidation States
"Barium is a soft, silvery-white, reactive metal."
Did You Know?
The compound barium sulfate is completely insoluble in water, making it non-toxic. It is also opaque to X-rays, so patients drink a 'barium meal' or 'barium milkshake' to provide a clear X-ray image of their digestive tract.
Barium compounds are used to produce a brilliant pale green color in fireworks.
All water- or acid-soluble barium compounds are extremely poisonous.
The element's name comes from the Greek word 'barys', which means 'heavy', because its compounds were known for their high density.