Lead (Pb)
"The Heavy Shield, a dense hero who protects from deadly radiation but has a toxic dark side."
A memorable persona to anchor Pb in your mind.
11.34
Grams per cm³
327.462
Celsius (°C)
202
Radius (pm)
Daily Life Link
Lead is found in the lead-acid battery that starts your car.
Discovery & History
Year Discovered
Ancient
Discovered By
Unknown
Origin of Name
"The name comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for the metal, ''lead''"
Technical Properties
Atomic Mass
207.2 u
Standard State
solid
Boiling Point
1749°C
Electron Configuration
[Xe] 4f145d106s26p2
1st Ionization Energy
7.417 eV
Electron Affinity
N/A
Oxidation States
"Lead is a heavy, soft, bluish-gray metal."
Did You Know?
Its chemical symbol, Pb, comes from its Latin name, 'plumbum', which is also the root of the words 'plumbing' and 'plumber'.
The ancient Romans used lead extensively for making water pipes, which historians believe may have led to widespread chronic lead poisoning and contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire.
Lead is extremely dense, making it an excellent shield against radiation (like X-rays) in hospitals and nuclear facilities.
For centuries, lead was a key ingredient in paints and gasoline, but it has been phased out in most countries due to its high toxicity.