Compare Lead vs Bismuth
Comparing Lead (Pb) and Bismuth (Bi). Atomic numbers 82 and 83 with atomic masses 207.21 u and 208.98 u, classified as post-transition metal and post-transition metal. Below: a side-by-side comparison of their physical, atomic, electron-configuration and historical properties, including density, melting and boiling points, ionization energies, oxidation states and discovery history.
Periodic properties of the elements
| Lead | Bismuth | |
|---|---|---|
| Symbol | Pb | Bi |
| Atomic number | 82 | 83 |
| Group | 14 | 15 |
| Period | 6 | 6 |
| Block | p | p |
| Element category | Post-Transition Metal | Post-Transition Metal |
Physical properties
| Lead | Bismuth | |
|---|---|---|
| Phase at STP | Solid | Solid |
| Density | 11.34 g/cm3 | 9.78 g/cm3 |
| Atomic weight | 207.21 u | 208.98 u |
| Melting point | 600.61 K 327.46 °C 621.428 °F | 544.7 K 271.55 °C 520.79 °F |
| Boiling point | 2022 K 1748.85 °C 3179.93 °F | 1837 K 1563.85 °C 2846.93 °F |
Atomic properties
| Lead | Bismuth | |
|---|---|---|
| Electronegativity (Pauling Scale) | 1.87 | 2.02 |
| Electron affinity | 34.4204 kJ/mol | 90.924 kJ/mol |
| Oxidation states | −4, −2, −1, +1, +2, +3, +4 (an amphoteric oxide) | −3, −2, −1, +1, +2, +3, +4, +5 (a mildly acidic oxide) |
| Ionization energies |
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Electron configuration
| Lead | Bismuth | |
|---|---|---|
| Shorthand configuration | [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p2 | [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p3 |
| Full configuration | 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 4f14 5s2 5p6 5d10 6s2 6p2 | 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 4f14 5s2 5p6 5d10 6s2 6p3 |
| Electrons per shell | 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 4 | 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 5 |
History
| Lead | Bismuth | |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery | Ancient Near East (7000 BC) | Claude François Geoffroy (1753) |