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Compare Zinc vs Cadmium

Comparing Zinc (Zn) and Cadmium (Cd). Atomic numbers 30 and 48 with atomic masses 65.382 u and 112.414 u, classified as transition metal and 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.

vs
Zn
Zinc
#30
Cd
Cadmium
#48

Periodic properties of the elements

ZincCadmium
SymbolZnCd
Atomic number3048
Group1212
Period45
Blockdd
Element categoryTransition MetalTransition Metal

Physical properties

ZincCadmium
Phase at STPSolidSolid
Density7.14 g/cm38.65 g/cm3
Atomic weight65.382 u112.414 u
Melting point692.68 K
419.53 °C
787.154 °F		594.22 K
321.07 °C
609.926 °F
Boiling point1180 K
906.85 °C
1664.33 °F		1040 K
766.85 °C
1412.33 °F

Atomic properties

ZincCadmium
Electronegativity (Pauling Scale)1.651.69
Electron affinity-58 kJ/mol-68 kJ/mol
Oxidation states−2, 0, +1, +2
(an amphoteric oxide)		−2, +1, +2
(a mildly basic oxide)
Ionization energies
  1. 906.4 kJ/mol
  2. 1733.3 kJ/mol
  3. 3833 kJ/mol
  4. 5731 kJ/mol
  5. 7970 kJ/mol
  6. 10400 kJ/mol
  7. 12900 kJ/mol
  8. 16800 kJ/mol
  9. 19600 kJ/mol
  10. 23000 kJ/mol
  11. 26400 kJ/mol
  12. 29990 kJ/mol
  13. 40490 kJ/mol
  14. 43800 kJ/mol
  15. 47300 kJ/mol
  16. 52300 kJ/mol
  17. 55900 kJ/mol
  18. 59700 kJ/mol
  19. 67300 kJ/mol
  20. 71200 kJ/mol
  21. 179100 kJ/mol
  1. 867.8 kJ/mol
  2. 1631.4 kJ/mol
  3. 3616 kJ/mol

Electron configuration

ZincCadmium
Shorthand configuration[Ar] 3d10 4s2 [Kr] 4d10 5s2
Full configuration1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2
Electrons per shell2, 8, 18, 22, 8, 18, 18, 2

History

ZincCadmium
DiscoveryIndian metallurgists (1000 BC)Friedrich Stromeyer; Karl Samuel Leberecht Hermann (independently) (1817)
First isolationAndreas Sigismund Marggraf (1746)Friedrich Stromeyer; Karl Samuel Leberecht Hermann (independently) (1817)
Named byParacelsusFriedrich Stromeyer (1817)
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