Quick answerRhodium (Rh) is a transition metal with atomic number 45 and an atomic mass of 102.91 (2023), in group 9, period 5. It was discovered by William Hyde Wollaston in 1803. It is used for catalytic converters and jewellery plating. Its electron configuration is [Kr] 4d8 5s1.
Rhodium is the rarest precious metal, and car exhausts depend on it to turn toxic fumes into harmless gases.
Key facts
| Symbol | Rh |
|---|---|
| Atomic number | 45 |
| Atomic mass | 102.91 (IUPAC standard atomic weight, 2023) |
| Category | transition metal |
| Group | 9 |
| Period | 5 |
| Block | d-block |
| Electron configuration | [Kr] 4d8 5s1 |
| Discovered | William Hyde Wollaston, 1803 |
| Uses | catalytic converters, jewellery plating, chemical catalysts, electrical contacts, mirrors |
Quick quiz
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Keep exploring
- Periodic table — all 118 elements
- Zinc (Zn) — another transition metal, atomic number 30
- Yttrium (Y) — another transition metal, atomic number 39
- Zirconium (Zr) — another transition metal, atomic number 40
- Niobium (Nb) — another transition metal, atomic number 41
- Molybdenum (Mo) — another transition metal, atomic number 42
- Technetium (Tc) — another transition metal, atomic number 43
- Ruthenium (Ru) — another transition metal, atomic number 44
- Palladium (Pd) — another transition metal, atomic number 46
- Silver (Ag) — another transition metal, atomic number 47
- Cadmium (Cd) — another transition metal, atomic number 48
- All transition metal elements — on the periodic table
Sources & last updated
- CIAAW — Standard Atomic Weights
- PubChem Periodic Table
- Wikipedia — Timeline of chemical element discoveries
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.