Tellurium Facts

Chemical & Physical Properties

An acrylic cube specially prepared for element collectors containing a sample of pure silicon tellurium — Rasiel Suarez on behalf of Luciteria LLC / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Science

By

Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

Updated on October 07, 2019

Periodic Table of the Elements

Tellurium Basic Facts

Symbol: Te

Atomic Number: 52

Atomic Weight: 127.6

Electron Configuration: [Kr] 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁴

Element Classification: Semimetallic

Discovery: Franz Joseph Meller von Reichenstein 1782 (Romania)

Name Origin: Latin: tellus (earth).

Tellurium Physical Data

Density (g/cc): 6.24

Melting Point (K): 722.7

Boiling Point (K): 1263

Appearance: silvery-white, brittle semimetal

Atomic Radius (pm): 160

Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 20.5

Covalent Radius (pm): 136

Ionic Radius: 56 (+6e) 211 (-2e)

Specific Heat (@20°C J/g mol): 0.201

Fusion Heat (kJ/mol): 17.91

Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): 49.8

Pauling Negativity Number: 2.1

First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 869.0

Oxidation States: 6, 4, 2

Lattice Structure: Hexagonal

Lattice Constant (Å): 4.450

Lattice C/A Ratio: 1.330

References: Los Alamos National Laboratory (2001), Crescent Chemical Company (2001), Lange's Handbook of Chemistry (1952), CRC Handbook of Chemistry & Physics (18th Ed.)

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