Quick answerZirconium (Zr) is a transition metal with atomic number 40 and an atomic mass of 91.224 (2023), in group 4, period 5. It was discovered by Martin Heinrich Klaproth in 1789. It is used for nuclear fuel cladding and cubic zirconia gemstones. Its electron configuration is [Kr] 4d2 5s2.
Zirconium is a corrosion-proof metal that clothes nuclear fuel rods, mimics diamonds as cubic zirconia, and survives inside furnaces.
Key facts
| Symbol | Zr |
|---|---|
| Atomic number | 40 |
| Atomic mass | 91.224 (IUPAC standard atomic weight, 2023) |
| Category | transition metal |
| Group | 4 |
| Period | 5 |
| Block | d-block |
| Electron configuration | [Kr] 4d2 5s2 |
| Discovered | Martin Heinrich Klaproth, 1789 |
| Uses | nuclear fuel cladding, cubic zirconia gemstones, ceramics, aerospace alloys, chemical plants |
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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
- 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
- Rhodium (Rh) — another transition metal, atomic number 45
- 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.