Periodic Table of Elements

42

Molybdenum

95.96

Molybdenum was discovered by Carl Welhelm Scheele, a Swedish chemist, in 1778. Peter Jacob Hjelm successfully isolated molybdenum by using carbon and linseed oil in 1781.

Name: Molybdenum
Symbol: Mo
Atomic number: 42
Atomic weight: 95.96
State: solid
Group, period, block: 6, 5, d
Color: gray metallic
Classification: transition metal
Electron configuration: 5s1 4d5
2,8,18,13,1

Physical properties

Density: 10.28 g/cm-3
Melting point: 2896 K,2623 °C,4753 °F
Boiling point: 4912 K,4639 °C,8382 °F

Atomic properties

Oxidation states: 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1[1], -1, -2
Electronegativity: 2.16 (Pauling scale)
Ionization energies: 1st: 684.3 kJ·mol-1
Covalent radius: 154±5 pm
Van der Waals radius: no data
  • Mo
  • Electron Configuration

Isotopes

There are seven naturally occurring isotopes of gallium exist, 92Mo, 94Mo, 95Mo, 96Mo, 97Mo, 98Mo, and 100Mo.