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Berkelium

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Berkelium Quick Reference

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Notes

Symbol

Bk

Atomic Number

97

Oxidation States

4

less common

3

more common

2

less common

Pauling Electronegativity

1.3

Electron Configuration

Orbital Occupancy

[Rn] 5f9 7s2

[Rn] represents the closed-shell electron configuration of radon

Orbital Filling Order

[Rn] 7s2 5f9

[Rn] represents the closed-shell electron configuration of radon

Term Symbol

6H15/2

see expanded configuration ...

Ionization Energies

I (1)

6.1979 eV

Density

α-berkelium, solid, 25 °C

14.780 g/cm3

β-berkelium, solid, 25 °C

13.250 g/cm3

Molar Volume

solid, 298 K, 1 atm

16.84 cm3/mol

Melting Point

1323 ± 50 K

Thermal Conductivity

solid, 300 K

10 W/(m K)

estimated

Pyykkö Covalent Radius

single bond

168 pm

double bond

139 pm

Quantity

Berkelium Atomic Structure

Notes

Ionization Energies

I (1)

6.1979 eV

Electron Binding Energies

K    (1s)

131556 ± 5 eV

LI   (2s)

 25256 ± 5 eV

LII  (2p1/2)

 24371 ± 5 eV

LIII (2p3/2)

 19435 ± 5 eV

see all 24 energies ...

Electron Configuration

Orbital Occupancy

[Rn] 5f9 7s2

[Rn] represents the closed-shell electron configuration of radon

Orbital Filling Order

[Rn] 7s2 5f9

[Rn] represents the closed-shell electron configuration of radon

Term Symbol

6H15/2

see expanded configuration ...

Fluorescence Yields

ωK

0.972

ωL1

0.236

ωL2

0.485

ωL3

0.550

Coster-Kronig Yields

F12

0.04 

F13

0.54 

F23

0.198

Quantity

Berkelium Physical Properties

Notes

Density

α-berkelium, solid, 25 °C

14.780 g/cm3

β-berkelium, solid, 25 °C

13.250 g/cm3

Molar Volume

solid, 298 K, 1 atm

16.84 cm3/mol

Physical Form

α-berkelium

hexagonal crystals

β-berkelium

cubic crystals

Quantity

Berkelium Atomic Interaction

Notes

Oxidation States

4

less common

3

more common

2

less common

Pauling Electronegativity

1.3

Allred-Rochow Electronegativity

1.2

Nagle Electronegativity

1.11

Quantity

Berkelium Thermodynamics

Notes

Melting Point

1323 ± 50 K

Thermal Conductivity

solid, 300 K

10 W/(m K)

estimated

Quantity

Berkelium Identification

Notes

CAS Number

α-berkelium

7440-40-6

β-berkelium

7440-40-6

Quantity

Berkelium Atomic Size

Notes

Orbital Radius

162.6 pm

Pyykkö Covalent Radius

single bond

168 pm

double bond

139 pm

Shannon-Prewitt Crystal Radius

ion charge: +3, coordination number: 6

110 pm

ion charge: +4

coordination number: 6

 97 pm

coordination number: 8

107 pm

Shannon-Prewitt Effective Ionic Radius

ion charge: +3, coordination number: 6

96 pm

ion charge: +4

coordination number: 6

83 pm

coordination number: 8

93 pm

Quantity

Berkelium Crystal Structure

Notes

Allotropes

allotrope

α-berkelium

symbol

αBk

allotrope

β-berkelium

symbol

βBk

Quantity

Berkelium History

Notes

Discovery

date of discovery

1949

discoverer

Stanley G. Thompson

death

July 16, 1976

discoverer

Albert Ghiorso

birth

July 15, 1915

discoverer

Glenn Theodore Seaborg

birth

April 19, 1912

death

February 25, 1999

location of discovery

Berkeley, California

Origin of Element Name

origin

Berkeley

origin description

place—City in California that is the home of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)

Origin of Element Symbol

symbol: Bk

origin

berkelium

origin description

element name

Formerly Used or Proposed Element Names and Symbols

name

mendelevium

no matching symbol specified

Quantity

Berkelium Nomenclature

Notes

Element Names in Other Languages

French

berkélium

German

Berkelium

Italian

berkelio

Spanish

berkelio

Portuguese

berquélio

Anions or Anionic Substituent Groups

berkelide

Cations or Cationic Substituent Groups

berkelium

Ligands

berkelido

Heteroatomic Anion

berkelate

'a' Term—Substitutive Nomenclature

berkela

'y' Term—Chains and Rings Nomenclature

berkely

References    (Click the button next to a value above to see complete citation information for that entry)

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