Lead (Pb)

Lead is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials, soft and malleable with a low melting point.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Lead has been smelted for thousands of years, and Roman water pipes of plumbum gave the element its symbol Pb and the word plumbing.
• The dense, soft metal resists corrosion and blocks radiation effectively, but it is a cumulative neurotoxin with no safe exposure level.
• Most lead today goes into lead-acid vehicle batteries, with radiation shielding another major use after its removal from gasoline and paint.

Specifications & Metrics

• NUM: 82
• SYMBOL: Pb
• CATEGORY: Post-transition Metal
• ATOMIC MASS: 207 u
• ELECTRONEGATIVITY: 2.33 Pauling
• ATOMIC RADIUS: 202 pm
• IONIZATION ENERGY: 7.417 eV
• ELECTRON AFFINITY: 0.36 eV
• MELTING POINT: 600.61 K
• BOILING POINT: 2022 K
• DENSITY: 11.342 g/cm³
• ELECTRON CONFIGURATION: [Xe]6s2 4f14 5d10 6p2
• OXIDATION STATES: +4, +2
• STANDARD STATE: Solid
• GROUP BLOCK: Post-transition metal
• YEAR DISCOVERED: Ancient