Platinum Element Information, Facts, Properties, Trends, Uses, Comparison with other elements
Platinum is a chemical element with symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, gray-white Transition Metal. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina, which is literally translated into 'little silver'.
It belongs to group 10 of the periodic table having trivial name null. You can also download Printable Periodic Table of Elements Flashcards for Platinum in a PDF format.
Platinum Facts
Read key information and facts about element Platinum
| Name | Platinum |
| Atomic Number | 78 |
| Atomic Symbol | Pt |
| Atomic Weight | 195.078 |
| Phase | Solid |
| Color | Gray |
| Appearance | silvery white |
| Classification | Transition Metal |
| Natural Occurance | Primordial |
| Group in Periodic Table | 10 |
| Group Name | nickel family |
| Period in Periodic Table | period 6 |
| Block in Periodic Table | d-block |
| Electronic Configuration | [Xe] 4f14 5d9 6s1 |
| Electronic Shell Structure (Electrons per shell) | 2, 8, 18, 32, 17, 1 |
| Melting Point | 2041.4 K |
| Boiling Point | 4098 K |
| CAS Number | CAS7440-06-4 |
How to Locate Platinum 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 78 to find Platinum 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 Platinum on periodic table look for cross section of group 10 and period 6 in the modern periodic table.
Platinum History
The element Platinum was discovered by A. de Ulloa in year 1748 in Peru. Platinum was first isolated by in . Platinum derived its name from the Spanish platina, meaning 'little silver'.
| Discovered By | A. de Ulloa |
| Discovery Date | 1748 in Peru |
| First Isolation | |
| Isolated by |
First description of a metal found inSouth American gold was in 1557 by Julius Caesar Scaliger. Ulloa published his findings in 1748, butSir Charles Woodalso investigated the metal in 1741. First reference to it as a new metal was made byWilliam Brownriggin 1750.
Platinum Uses
Platinum is known for its corrosion-resistant properties and has long been used for jewellery. Its main use is in catalytic converters for automobiles.
Platinum Presence: Abundance in Nature and Around Us
The table below shows the abundance of Platinum 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 Universe | 5 | 0.03 |
| Abundance in Sun | 9 | 0.06 |
| Abundance in Meteorites | 1000 | 100 |
| Abundance in Earth's Crust | 37 | 4 |
| Abundance in Oceans | - | - |
| Abundance in Humans | - | - |
Crystal Structure of Platinum
The solid state structure of Platinum is Face Centered Cubic.
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)
| a | b | c |
|---|---|---|
| 392.42 pm | 392.42 pm | 392.42 pm |
and the angles between them Lattice Angles (alpha, beta and gamma).
| alpha | beta | gamma |
|---|---|---|
| π/2 | π/2 | π/2 |
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 Name | Fm_ 3m |
| Space Group Number | 225 |
| Crystal Structure | Face Centered Cubic |
| Number of atoms per unit cell | 4 |
The number of atoms per unit cell in a simple cubic, face-centered cubic and body-centred cubic are 1,4,2 respectively.
Platinum Atomic and Orbital Properties
Platinum atoms have 78 electrons and the electronic shell structure is [2, 8, 18, 32, 17, 1] with Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) 3D3.
| Atomic Number | 78 |
| Number of Electrons (with no charge) | 78 |
| Number of Protons | 78 |
| Mass Number | 195 |
| Number of Neutrons | 117 |
| Shell structure (Electrons per energy level) | 2, 8, 18, 32, 17, 1 |
| Electron Configuration | [Xe] 4f14 5d9 6s1 |
| Valence Electrons | 5d9 6s1 |
| Valence (Valency) | 6 |
| Main Oxidation States | 2, 4 |
| Oxidation States | -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
| Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) | 3D3 |
Bohr Atomic Model of Platinum - Electrons per energy level
| n | s | p | d | f |
|---|
Ground State Electronic Configuration of Platinum - neutral Platinum atom
Abbreviated electronic configuration of Platinum
The ground state abbreviated electronic configuration of Neutral Platinum atom is [Xe] 4f14 5d9 6s1. The portion of Platinum configuration that is equivalent to the noble gas of the preceding period, is abbreviated as [Xe]. 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 5d9 6s1, electrons in the outermost shell that determine the chemical properties of the element.
Unabbreviated electronic configuration of neutral Platinum
Complete ground state electronic configuration for the Platinum atom, Unabbreviated electronic configuration
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 5d9 6s1
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.
Atomic Structure of Platinum
Platinum atomic radius is 177 pm, while it's covalent radius is 128 pm.
| Atomic Radius Calculated | 177 pm(1.77 Å) |
| Atomic Radius Empirical | 135 pm (1.35 Å) |
| Atomic Volume | 9.09 cm3/mol |
| Covalent Radius | 128 pm (1.28 Å) |
| Van der Waals Radius | 175 pm |
| Neutron Cross Section | 10 |
| Neutron Mass Absorption | 0.002 |
Spectral Lines of Platinum - Atomic Spectrum of Platinum
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 Platinum
Absorption spectrum of Platinum
Platinum Chemical Properties: Platinum Ionization Energies and electron affinity
The electron affinity of Platinum is 205.3 kJ/mol.
| Valence | 6 |
| Electronegativity | 2.28 |
| ElectronAffinity | 205.3 kJ/mol |
Ionization Energy of Platinum
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 Platinum
| Ionization energy number | Enthalpy - kJ/mol |
|---|---|
| 1st | 870 |
| 2nd | 1791 |
Platinum Physical Properties
Refer to below table for Platinum Physical Properties
| Density | 21.09 g/cm3(when liquid at m.p density is $19.77 g/cm3) |
| Molar Volume | 9.09 cm3/mol |
Elastic Properties
| Young Modulus | 168 |
| Shear Modulus | 61 GPa |
| Bulk Modulus | 230 GPa |
| Poisson Ratio | 0.38 |
Hardness of Platinum - Tests to Measure of Hardness of Element
| Mohs Hardness | 3.5 MPa |
| Vickers Hardness | 549 MPa |
| Brinell Hardness | 392 MPa |
Platinum 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).
Platinum is a conductor of electricity. Refer to table below for the Electrical properties of Platinum
| Electrical conductors | Conductor |
| Electrical Conductivity | 9400000 S/m |
| Resistivity | 1.1e-7 m Ω |
| Superconducting Point | - |
Platinum Heat and Conduction Properties
| Thermal Conductivity | 72 W/(m K) |
| Thermal Expansion | 0.0000088 /K |
Platinum Magnetic Properties
| Magnetic Type | Paramagnetic |
| Curie Point | - |
| Mass Magnetic Susceptibility | 1.22e-8 m3/kg |
| Molar Magnetic Susceptibility | 2.38e-9 m3/mol |
| Volume Magnetic Susceptibility | 0.0002573 |
Optical Properties of Platinum
| Refractive Index | - |
Acoustic Properties of Platinum
| Speed of Sound | 2680 m/s |
Platinum Thermal Properties - Enthalpies and thermodynamics
Refer to table below for Thermal properties of Platinum
| Melting Point | 2041.4 K(1768.25 °C, 3214.850 °F) |
| Boiling Point | 4098 K(3824.85 °C, 6916.730 °F) |
| Critical Temperature | - |
| Superconducting Point | - |
Enthalpies of Platinum
| Heat of Fusion | 20 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Vaporization | 490 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Combustion | - |
Platinum Isotopes - Nuclear Properties of Platinum
Platinum has 37 isotopes, with between 166 and 202 nucleons. Platinum has 5 stable naturally occuring isotopes.
Isotopes of Platinum - Naturally occurring stable Isotopes: 192Pt, 194Pt, 195Pt, 196Pt, 198Pt.
| Isotope | Z | N | Isotope Mass | % Abundance | T half | Decay Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 166Pt | 78 | 88 | 166 | Synthetic | ||
| 167Pt | 78 | 89 | 167 | Synthetic | ||
| 168Pt | 78 | 90 | 168 | Synthetic | ||
| 169Pt | 78 | 91 | 169 | Synthetic | ||
| 170Pt | 78 | 92 | 170 | Synthetic | ||
| 171Pt | 78 | 93 | 171 | Synthetic | ||
| 172Pt | 78 | 94 | 172 | Synthetic | ||
| 173Pt | 78 | 95 | 173 | Synthetic | ||
| 174Pt | 78 | 96 | 174 | Synthetic | ||
| 175Pt | 78 | 97 | 175 | Synthetic | ||
| 176Pt | 78 | 98 | 176 | Synthetic | ||
| 177Pt | 78 | 99 | 177 | Synthetic | ||
| 178Pt | 78 | 100 | 178 | Synthetic | ||
| 179Pt | 78 | 101 | 179 | Synthetic | ||
| 180Pt | 78 | 102 | 180 | Synthetic | ||
| 181Pt | 78 | 103 | 181 | Synthetic | ||
| 182Pt | 78 | 104 | 182 | Synthetic | ||
| 183Pt | 78 | 105 | 183 | Synthetic | ||
| 184Pt | 78 | 106 | 184 | Synthetic | ||
| 185Pt | 78 | 107 | 185 | Synthetic | ||
| 186Pt | 78 | 108 | 186 | Synthetic | ||
| 187Pt | 78 | 109 | 187 | Synthetic | ||
| 188Pt | 78 | 110 | 188 | Synthetic | ||
| 189Pt | 78 | 111 | 189 | Synthetic | ||
| 190Pt | 78 | 112 | 190 | 0.014% | Stable | N/A |
| 191Pt | 78 | 113 | 191 | Synthetic | ||
| 192Pt | 78 | 114 | 192 | 0.782% | Stable | N/A |
| 193Pt | 78 | 115 | 193 | Synthetic | ||
| 194Pt | 78 | 116 | 194 | 32.967% | Stable | N/A |
| 195Pt | 78 | 117 | 195 | 33.832% | Stable | |
| 196Pt | 78 | 118 | 196 | 25.242% | Stable | N/A |
| 197Pt | 78 | 119 | 197 | Synthetic | ||
| 198Pt | 78 | 120 | 198 | 7.163% | Stable | N/A |
| 199Pt | 78 | 121 | 199 | Synthetic | ||
| 200Pt | 78 | 122 | 200 | Synthetic | ||
| 201Pt | 78 | 123 | 201 | Synthetic | ||
| 202Pt | 78 | 124 | 202 | Synthetic |
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.
| DOT Numbers | 3089 |
| DOT Hazard Class | 4.1 |
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 Rating | 2 | Flash Points Above 37.8°C (100°F) not exceeding 93.3°C (200°F) |
| NFPA Health Rating | 1 | Flash Points Above 93.3°C (200°F) |
| NFPA Reactivity Rating | 0 | Will not burn |
| NFPA Hazards |
| Autoignition Point | - |
| Flashpoint | - |
Database Search
List of unique identifiers to search the element in various chemical registry databases
| Database | Identifier number |
|---|---|
| CAS Number - Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) | CAS7440-06-4 |
| RTECS Number | RTECSTP2160000 |
| CID Number | CID23939 |
| Gmelin Number | - |
| NSC Number | - |
Compare Platinum with other elements
Compare Platinum with Group 10, Period 6 and Transition Metal elements of the periodic table.
Compare Platinum with all Group 10 elements
Compare Platinum with all Period 6 elements
Compare Platinum with all Transition Metal elements
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about Platinum