Chromium (Cr)

Transition Metals Block D Group 6 • Period 4

Superhero Identity

"The Chrome Comet, a flashy hero who resists tarnish and gives everything a mirror-like shine."

A memorable persona to anchor Cr in your mind.

Density

7.19

Grams per cm³

Melting Point

1907

Celsius (°C)

Atomic Radius

189

Radius (pm)

Everyday Connection

Daily Life Link

The shiny chrome bumper on a classic car.

Discovery & History

Year Discovered

1797

Discovered By

Louis-Nicolas Vauquelin

Origin of Name

"The name is derived from the Greek ''chroma'', meaning colour."

Technical Properties

Atomic Mass

51.996 u

Standard State

solid

Boiling Point

2671°C

Electron Configuration

[Ar] 3d54s1

1st Ionization Energy

6.767 eV

Electron Affinity

N/A

Oxidation States

[+6 +3 +2]

Appearance

"A hard, lustrous, steel-gray metal."

Did You Know?

Its name comes from the Greek word 'chroma', meaning 'color', because its compounds are known for being intensely colorful (e.g., ruby red, emerald green, chrome yellow).

Stainless steel gets its resistance to rust and corrosion from the addition of at least 10.5% chromium.

Rubies get their deep red color from trace amounts of chromium ions in their crystal structure.

The shiny, reflective coating on car bumpers and fixtures is an extremely thin layer of plated chromium.

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