56Ba137.33
Barium
Alkaline earth metalsReactive metals with two outer electrons, found in rocks, shells and bones.
[Xe] 6s²
- Atomic number
- 56
- Atomic mass
- 137.33
- Protons
- 56
- Neutrons
- 81 (most common)
- Electrons
- 56
- Shells
- 2, 8, 18, 18, 8, 2
- State at 25 °C
- Solid
- Position
- Group 2, period 6
Proton (+)Neutron (0)Electron (−)
Discovered byHumphry Davy, 1808Humphry Davy: 7 elementsCarl Wilhelm Scheele: 6 elements
Davy isolated it using electricity. The name comes from the Greek barys, meaning heavy, because its minerals are dense.
Did you know?
- A barium sulfate drink shows up clearly on X-rays.
- It gives fireworks their green colour.
Where it's found
- Baryte mineral
What it's used for
- Barium meals for X-ray scans of the gut
- Green fireworks
- Drilling mud for oil wells
Try it
There's no safe home experiment for Barium. Explore it with the animated atom above instead.