Chemical element · Atomic number 34
Selenium
Selenium in the periodic table: atomic number 34, electron configuration, atomic mass, physical data, oxidation states, media credit and visible sources.
Nonmetal
solid
78.97 u
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Atomic classification
Shell occupancy
Selenium in the Bohr shell model
This shows the electron distribution of the neutral atom in a simplified shell model.
- K · n=1
- 2 electrons
- L · n=2
- 8 electrons
- M · n=3
- 18 electrons
- N · n=4
- 6 electrons
- Electron configuration
- [Ar]4s2 3d10 4p4
- Electrons per shell
- 2 · 8 · 18 · 6
- Group
- 16
- Period
- 4
- Block
- P
- Element category
- Nonmetal
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Physical and chemical properties
- Atomic mass
- 78.97 u
- Standard state
- solid
- Density
- 4.809 g/cm³
- Melting point
- 493.65 K
- Boiling point
- 958 K
- Electronegativity
- 2.55 (Pauling)
- First ionisation energy
- 9.752 eV
- Oxidation states
- +6, +4, -2
- Discovery
- 1817
Safety and periodic classification
Safety
Safe handling cannot be inferred from Selenium's position in the periodic table alone. Laboratory, classroom and disposal decisions must follow the documentation for the exact material and its safety data sheet.
Position and comparison
Selenium is in period 4, group 16 and the P block. Its direct neighbours by atomic number are Arsenic and Bromine. The recorded Pauling electronegativity is 2.55. Periodic trends are compared only through the separately sourced neighbouring values.
Sources and scope
PubChem attributes element data to sources including IUPAC, NIST and IAEA. Quanta stores the referenced snapshot locally and leaves unknown values unavailable.