Ruthenium (Ru)
"The Everlasting Point, a hero who provides an incredibly hard and durable tip for the mightiest pens."
A memorable persona to anchor Ru in your mind.
12.45
Grams per cm³
2333
Celsius (°C)
207
Radius (pm)
Daily Life Link
Ruthenium is found in the hard, wear-resistant tip on a high-quality fountain pen.
Discovery & History
Year Discovered
1844
Discovered By
Karl Ernst Claus
Origin of Name
"The name is derived from ''Ruthenia'', the Latin name for Russia"
Technical Properties
Atomic Mass
101.07 u
Standard State
solid
Boiling Point
4147°C
Electron Configuration
[Kr] 4d75s1
1st Ionization Energy
7.361 eV
Electron Affinity
N/A
Oxidation States
"Ruthenium is a hard, white, rare metal."
Did You Know?
It is a member of the platinum group metals and is extremely rare, found in about 1 part per billion in the Earth's crust.
It is named after Ruthenia, the Latin word for Rus', a historical region that includes present-day Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus, in honor of its discoverer's birthplace.
A tiny amount of ruthenium added to platinum or palladium can dramatically increase their hardness and wear resistance.
It is an extremely versatile catalyst, used in a wide range of chemical reactions.