Rubidium
Rubidium, the 37th element, is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. It is the second most
electropositive element. Its atomic mass is 85.4678, has e- levels of 2-8-18-8-1,
a specific gravity of 1.532, and as all alkalis, a valence of +1. It was discovered
in 1861 by R. Bunsen and G. Kirchhoff of Germany. It melts at a mere 39.48 degrees celcius,
and boils at 687.85 degrees C. Rb reacts explosively with oxygen and violently with water.
It is named for the Latin word for "deepest red", because of the color it burns. There are 17
known isotopes of Rb, only Rubidium 85 is stable. Rubidium 87 is the only natural radioactive
isotope.
May 20, 1997
Back to my chem page.
Back to my page.