| Boron |
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| Atomic Number - | 5 | Melting Point (°C,°F) - | 2076 °C, 3769 °F |
| Atomic Symbol - | B | Boiling Point (°C,°F) - | 3927 °C, 7101 °F |
| Atomic Mass - | 10.81 | Electron Configuration - | 1s2 2s2 2p1 |
| Group - | 13 | Electrons Per Shell - | 2, 3 |
| Period - | 2 | Protons - | 5 |
| Series - | Metalloids | Neutrons - | 6 |
| Block - | p-block | | |
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Element Description - Boron is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol B and atomic number 5. A trivalent metalloid element, boron occurs abundantly in the ore borax. There are several allotropes of boron; amorphous boron is a brown powder, but metallic boron is black. The metallic form is hard (9.3 on Mohs' scale) and a poor conductor at room temperature. It is never found free in nature. Crystalline boron exists in many polymorphs. Two rhombohedral forms, ?-boron and ?-boron containing 12 and 106.7 atoms in the rhombohedral unit cell respectively, and 50-atom tetragonal boron are the three most characterised crystalline forms. |
Element Characteristics - Boron is electron-deficient, possessing a vacant p-orbital. It is an electrophile. Compounds of boron often behave as Lewis acids, readily bonding with electron-rich substances in an attempt to quench boron's insatiable hunger for electrons.
Optical characteristics of this element include the transmittance of infrared light. At standard temperatures boron is a poor electrical conductor but is a good conductor at high temperatures.
Boron nitride can be used to make materials that are almost as hard as diamond. The nitride also acts as an electrical insulator but conducts heat similar to a metal. This element also has lubricating qualities that are similar to graphite. Boron is also similar to carbon with its capability to form stable covalently bonded molecular networks. |
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