Be - Beryllium

4
Be
Beryllium

Beryllium Element Information, Facts, Properties, Trends, Uses, Comparison with other elements

Element 4 of Periodic table is Beryllium with atomic number 4, atomic weight 9.012182. Beryllium, symbol Be, has a Simple Hexagonal structure and SlateGray color. Beryllium is a Alkaline Earth Metal element. It is part of group 2 (beryllium family). Know everything about Beryllium Facts, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Electronic configuration, Atomic and Crystal Structure.
4 Be - Beryllium | SchoolMyKids

Beryllium is a chemical element with symbol Be and atomic number 4. It is created through stellar nucleosynthesis and is a relatively rare element in the universe. It is a divalent element which occurs naturally only in combination with other elements in minerals.

It belongs to group 2 of the periodic table having trivial name alkaline earth metals*. You can also download Printable Periodic Table of Elements Flashcards for Beryllium in a PDF format.

Beryllium Facts

Read key information and facts about element Beryllium

NameBeryllium
Atomic Number4
Atomic SymbolBe
Atomic Weight9.012182
PhaseSolid
ColorSlateGray
Appearancewhite-gray metallic
ClassificationAlkaline Earth Metal
Natural OccurancePrimordial
Group in Periodic Table2
Group Nameberyllium family
Period in Periodic Tableperiod 2
Block in Periodic Tables-block
Electronic Configuration[He] 2s2
Electronic Shell Structure (Electrons per shell)2, 2
Melting Point1560 K
Boiling Point2743 K
CAS NumberCAS7440-41-7
Neighborhood Elements
123456789101112131415161718
1
1
H
Hydrogen
1.008

Atomic #

Electronic Shell #

Symbol
Name
Atomic Weight
HGas
HgLiquid
CSolid
Metals
Metalloids
NonMetals
Alkali metals
Alkali earth metals
Lanthanoids
Transition metals
Post-transition metals
Other nonmetals
Halogens
Nobel gas
Actinoids
2
He
Helium
4.003
2
3
Li
Lithium
6.941
4
Be
Beryllium
9.012
5
B
Boron
10.811
6
C
Carbon
12.011
7
N
Nitrogen
14.007
8
O
Oxygen
15.999
9
F
Fluorine
18.998
10
Ne
Neon
20.180
3
11
Na
Sodium
22.990
12
Mg
Magnesium
24.305
13
Al
Aluminium
26.982
14
Si
Silicon
28.085
15
P
Phosphorus
30.974
16
S
Sulfur
32.065
17
Cl
Chlorine
35.453
18
Ar
Argon
39.948
4
19
K
Potassium
39.098
20
Ca
Calcium
40.078
21
Sc
Scandium
44.956
22
Ti
Titanium
47.867
23
V
Vanadium
50.941
24
Cr
Chromium
51.996
25
Mn
Manganese
54.938
26
Fe
Iron
55.845
27
Co
Cobalt
58.933
28
Ni
Nickel
58.693
29
Cu
Copper
63.546
30
Zn
Zinc
65.409
31
Ga
Gallium
69.723
32
Ge
Germanium
72.640
33
As
Arsenic
74.922
34
Se
Selenium
78.960
35
Br
Bromine
79.904
36
Kr
Krypton
83.798
5
37
Rb
Rubidium
85.468
38
Sr
Strontium
87.620
39
Y
Yttrium
88.906
40
Zr
Zirconium
91.224
41
Nb
Niobium
92.906
42
Mo
Molybdenum
95.940
43
Tc
Technetium
98
44
Ru
Ruthenium
101.070
45
Rh
Rhodium
102.906
46
Pd
Palladium
106.420
47
Ag
Silver
107.868
48
Cd
Cadmium
112.411
49
In
Indium
114.818
50
Sn
Tin
118.710
51
Sb
Antimony
121.760
52
Te
Tellurium
127.600
53
I
Iodine
126.904
54
Xe
Xenon
131.293
6
55
Cs
Cesium
132.905
56
Ba
Barium
137.327
57 - 71
La - Lu
Lanthanides
72
Hf
Hafnium
178.490
73
Ta
Tantalum
180.948
74
W
Tungsten
183.840
75
Re
Rhenium
186.207
76
Os
Osmium
190.230
77
Ir
Iridium
192.217
78
Pt
Platinum
195.078
79
Au
Gold
196.967
80
Hg
Mercury
200.590
81
Tl
Thallium
204.383
82
Pb
Lead
207.200
83
Bi
Bismuth
208.980
84
Po
Polonium
209
85
At
Astatine
210
86
Rn
Radon
222
7
87
Fr
Francium
223
88
Ra
Radium
226
89 - 103
Ac - Lr
Actinides
104
Rf
Rutherfordium
261
105
Db
Dubnium
262
106
Sg
Seaborgium
266
107
Bh
Bohrium
264
108
Hs
Hassium
269
109
Mt
Meitnerium
268
110
Ds
Darmstadtium
281
111
Rg
Roentgenium
272
112
Cn
Copernicium
285
113
Nh
Nihonium
284
114
Fl
Flerovium
289
115
Mc
Moscovium
288
116
Lv
Livermorium
292
117
Ts
Tennessine
294
118
Og
Oganesson
294
Lanthanides
57
La
Lanthanum
138.905
58
Ce
Cerium
140.116
59
Pr
Praseodymium
140.908
60
Nd
Neodymium
144.240
61
Pm
Promethium
145
62
Sm
Samarium
150.360
63
Eu
Europium
151.964
64
Gd
Gadolinium
157.250
65
Tb
Terbium
158.925
66
Dy
Dysprosium
162.500
67
Ho
Holmium
164.930
68
Er
Erbium
167.259
69
Tm
Thulium
168.934
70
Yb
Ytterbium
173.040
71
Lu
Lutetium
174.967
Actinides
89
Ac
Actinium
227
90
Th
Thorium
232.038
91
Pa
Protactinium
231.036
92
U
Uranium
238.029
93
Np
Neptunium
237
94
Pu
Plutonium
244
95
Am
Americium
243
96
Cm
Curium
247
97
Bk
Berkelium
247
98
Cf
Californium
251
99
Es
Einsteinium
252
100
Fm
Fermium
257
101
Md
Mendelevium
258
102
No
Nobelium
259
103
Lr
Lawrencium
262

How to Locate Beryllium on Periodic Table

Periodic table is arranged by atomic number, number of protons in the nucleus which is same as number of electrons. The atomic number increases from left to right. Periodic table starts at top left ( Atomic number 1) and ends at bottom right (atomic number 118). Therefore you can directly look for atomic number 4 to find Beryllium on periodic table.

Another way to read periodic table and locate an element is by using group number (column) and period number (row). To locate Beryllium on periodic table look for cross section of group 2 and period 2 in the modern periodic table.

Beryllium History

The element Beryllium was discovered by N. Vauquelin in year 1798 in France. Beryllium was first isolated by F. Wöhler and A. Bussy in 1828. Beryllium derived its name from beryl, a mineral.

Discovered By N. Vauquelin
Discovery Date 1798 in France
First Isolation 1828
Isolated by F. Wöhler and A. Bussy

Vauquelin discovered the oxide in beryl and emerald, and Klaproth suggested the present name around 1808.

Beryllium Uses

Beryllium is majorly used as an alloying agent for copper. Beryllium copper, the resultant metal of combination, is used for springs and a variety of electrical applications. Due to its lightweight metal properties, it is used structurally in the aerospace industry.

Beryllium Presence: Abundance in Nature and Around Us

The table below shows the abundance of Beryllium in Universe, Sun, Meteorites, Earth's Crust, Oceans and Human Body.

 ppb by weight (1ppb =10^-7 %)ppb by atoms (1ppb =10^-7 %)
Abundance in Universe10.1
Abundance in Sun0.10.01
Abundance in Meteorites3070
Abundance in Earth's Crust19004300
Abundance in Oceans0.00060.00041
Abundance in Humans0.40.3

Crystal Structure of Beryllium

The solid state structure of Beryllium is Simple Hexagonal.

The Crystal structure can be described in terms of its unit Cell. The unit Cells repeats itself in three dimensional space to form the structure.

Unit Cell Parameters

The unit cell is represented in terms of its lattice parameters, which are the lengths of the cell edges Lattice Constants (a, b and c)

abc
228.58 pm228.58 pm358.43 pm

and the angles between them Lattice Angles (alpha, beta and gamma).

alphabetagamma
π/2 π/2 2 π/3

The positions of the atoms inside the unit cell are described by the set of atomic positions ( xi, yi, zi) measured from a reference lattice point.

The symmetry properties of the crystal are described by the concept of space groups. All possible symmetric arrangements of particles in three-dimensional space are described by the 230 space groups (219 distinct types, or 230 if chiral copies are considered distinct.

Space Group NameP63/mmc
Space Group Number194
Crystal StructureSimple Hexagonal
Number of atoms per unit cell
4 Be Beryllium - Crystal Structure | SchoolMyKids

The number of atoms per unit cell in a simple cubic, face-centered cubic and body-centred cubic are 1,4,2 respectively.

Beryllium Atomic and Orbital Properties

Beryllium atoms have 4 electrons and the electronic shell structure is [2, 2] with Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) 1S0.

Atomic Number4
Number of Electrons (with no charge)4
Number of Protons4
Mass Number9
Number of Neutrons5
Shell structure (Electrons per energy level)2, 2
Electron Configuration[He] 2s2
Valence Electrons2s2
Valence (Valency)2
Main Oxidation States2
Oxidation States0, 1, 2
Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers)1S0

Bohr Atomic Model of Beryllium - Electrons per energy level

4 Be Beryllium Electron Shell Structure | SchoolMyKids
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Ground State Electronic Configuration of Beryllium - neutral Beryllium atom

Abbreviated electronic configuration of Beryllium

The ground state abbreviated electronic configuration of Neutral Beryllium atom is [He] 2s2. The portion of Beryllium configuration that is equivalent to the noble gas of the preceding period, is abbreviated as [He]. For atoms with many electrons, this notation can become lengthy and so an abbreviated notation is used. This is important as it is the Valence electrons 2s2, electrons in the outermost shell that determine the chemical properties of the element.

Unabbreviated electronic configuration of neutral Beryllium

Complete ground state electronic configuration for the Beryllium atom, Unabbreviated electronic configuration

1s2 2s2

Electrons are filled in atomic orbitals as per the order determined by the Aufbau principle, Pauli Exclusion Principle and Hund’s Rule.

As per the Aufbau principle the electrons will occupy the orbitals having lower energies before occupying higher energy orbitals. According to this principle, electrons are filled in the following order: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s, 4f, 5d, 6p, 7s, 5f, 6d, 7p…

The Pauli exclusion principle states that a maximum of two electrons, each having opposite spins, can fit in an orbital.

Hund's rule states that every orbital in a given subshell is singly occupied by electrons before a second electron is filled in an orbital.

Electron configuration of Beryllium

Atomic Structure of Beryllium

Beryllium atomic radius is 112 pm, while it's covalent radius is 90 pm.

Atomic Radius Calculated112 pm(1.12 Å)
Atomic Radius Empirical105 pm (1.05 Å)
Atomic Volume4.8767 cm3/mol
Covalent Radius90 pm (0.9 Å)
Van der Waals Radius153 pm
Neutron Cross Section0.0092
Neutron Mass Absorption 0.00003

Spectral Lines of Beryllium - Atomic Spectrum of Beryllium

A spectral line is a dark or bright line in an otherwise uniform and continuous spectrum, resulting from an excess or deficiency of photons in a narrow frequency range, compared with the nearby frequencies. Spectral lines are often used to identify atoms and molecules.

Spectral lines are the result of interaction between a quantum system and a single photon. A spectral line may be observed either as an emission line or an absorption line.

Spectral lines are highly atom-specific, and can be used to identify the chemical composition of any medium. Several elements, including helium, thallium, and caesium, were discovered by spectroscopic means. They are widely used to determine the physical conditions of stars and other celestial bodies that cannot be analyzed by other means.

Emission spectrum of Beryllium

Emission Spectrum of Beryllium | SchoolMyKids

Absorption spectrum of Beryllium

Absorption Spectrum of Beryllium | SchoolMyKids

Beryllium Chemical Properties: Beryllium Ionization Energies and electron affinity

The electron affinity of Beryllium is 0 kJ/mol.

Valence2
Electronegativity1.57
ElectronAffinity0 kJ/mol

Ionization Energy of Beryllium

Ionization energy is the amount of energy required to remove an electron from an atom or molecule.in chemistry, this energy is expresed in kilocalories per mole (kcal/mol) or kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol).

Refer to table below for Ionization energies of Beryllium

Ionization energy numberEnthalpy - kJ/mol
1st899.5
2nd1757.1
3rd14848.7
4th21006.6

Beryllium Physical Properties

Refer to below table for Beryllium Physical Properties

Density1.848 g/cm3(when liquid at m.p density is $1.69 g/cm3)
Molar Volume4.8767 cm3/mol

Elastic Properties

Young Modulus287
Shear Modulus132 GPa
Bulk Modulus 130 GPa
Poisson Ratio0.032

Hardness of Beryllium - Tests to Measure of Hardness of Element

Mohs Hardness5.5 MPa
Vickers Hardness1670 MPa
Brinell Hardness600 MPa

Beryllium Electrical Properties

Electrical resistivity measures element's electrical resistance or how strongly it resists electric current.The SI unit of electrical resistivity is the ohm-metre (Ω⋅m). While Electrical conductivity is the reciprocal of electrical resistivity. It represents a element's ability to conduct electric current. The SI unit of electrical conductivity is siemens per metre (S/m).

Beryllium is a conductor of electricity. Refer to table below for the Electrical properties of Beryllium

Electrical conductors Conductor
Electrical Conductivity25000000 S/m
Resistivity4e-8 m Ω
Superconducting Point0.026

Beryllium Heat and Conduction Properties

Thermal Conductivity190 W/(m K)
Thermal Expansion0.0000113 /K

Beryllium Magnetic Properties

Magnetic TypeDiamagnetic
Curie Point-
Mass Magnetic Susceptibility-1.26e-8 m3/kg
Molar Magnetic Susceptibility-1.136e-10 m3/mol
Volume Magnetic Susceptibility-0.00002328

Optical Properties of Beryllium

Refractive Index-

Acoustic Properties of Beryllium

Speed of Sound13000 m/s

Beryllium Thermal Properties - Enthalpies and thermodynamics

Refer to table below for Thermal properties of Beryllium

Melting Point1560 K(1286.85 °C, 2348.330 °F)
Boiling Point2743 K(2469.85 °C, 4477.730 °F)
Critical Temperature-
Superconducting Point0.026

Enthalpies of Beryllium

Heat of Fusion7.95 kJ/mol
Heat of Vaporization297 kJ/mol
Heat of Combustion-

Beryllium Isotopes - Nuclear Properties of Beryllium

Beryllium has 12 isotopes, with between 5 and 16 nucleons. Beryllium has 1 stable naturally occuring isotopes.

Isotopes of Beryllium - Naturally occurring stable Isotopes: 9Be.

IsotopeZNIsotope Mass% AbundanceT halfDecay Mode
5Be415Synthetic
6Be426Synthetic
7Be437Synthetic
8Be448Synthetic
9Be459100%Stable
10Be4610Synthetic
11Be4711Synthetic
12Be4812Synthetic
13Be4913Synthetic
14Be41014Synthetic
15Be41115Synthetic
16Be41216Synthetic

Regulatory and Health - Health and Safety Parameters and Guidelines

The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) identifies hazard class of all dangerous elements/goods/commodities either by its class (or division) number or name. The DOT has divided these materials into nine different categories, known as Hazard Classes.

Toxic substances

NFPA 704 is a Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response. NFPA is a standard maintained by the US based National Fire Protection Association.

The health (blue), flammability (red), and reactivity (yellow) rating all use a numbering scale ranging from 0 to 4. A value of zero means that the element poses no hazard; a rating of four indicates extreme danger.

NFPA Fire Rating1Flash Points Above 93.3°C (200°F)
NFPA Health Rating3 Flash Points below 37.8°C (100°F)
NFPA Reactivity Rating0 Will not burn
NFPA Hazards
Autoignition Point-
Flashpoint-

Database Search

List of unique identifiers to search the element in various chemical registry databases

DatabaseIdentifier number
CAS Number - Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS)CAS7440-41-7
RTECS NumberRTECSDS1750000
CID Number CID5460467
Gmelin Number-
NSC Number-

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about Beryllium

The electronic configuration of Beryllium is 1s2 2s2.

The abbreviated electronic configuration of Beryllium is [He] 2s2. To form abbreviated notation of electronic configuration, the completely filled subshells are replaced by the noble gas of the preceding period in square brackets.

Symbol of Beryllium is Be. Beryllium is a chemical element with symbol Be and atomic number 4.

Beryllium is a chemical element with the symbol Be and atomic number 4. Beryllium is the 4 element on the periodic table. It is located in group 2 and period 2 in the modern periodic table.

The atomic number of Beryllium is 4.

Beryllium is of SlateGray color.

The element Beryllium was discovered by N. Vauquelin in year 1798 in France. Beryllium was first isolated by F. Wöhler and A. Bussy in 1828.

Beryllium has 2 valence electrons. Beryllium has 4 electrons out of which 2 valence electrons are present in the 2s2 outer orbitals of atom.

Melting Point of Beryllium is 1560 K.

Boiling Point of Beryllium is 2743 K.

Melting Point of Beryllium in Kelvin is 1560 K.

Boiling Point of Beryllium in Kelvin is 2743 K.

Melting Point of Beryllium in Celsius is 1286.85 °C.

Boiling Point of Beryllium in Celsius is 2469.85 °C.

Melting Point of Beryllium in Fahrenheit is 2348.33 °F.

Boiling Point of Beryllium in Fahrenheit is 4477.73 °F.

The electronic configuration of Beryllium will be 1s2 2s2.

The electronic configuration of Beryllium will be 1s2 2s2.