78Pt195.08
Platinum
Transition metalsHard, shiny metals that conduct heat and electricity well and often form coloured compounds.
[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d⁹ 6s¹
- Atomic number
- 78
- Atomic mass
- 195.08
- Protons
- 78
- Neutrons
- 117 (most common)
- Electrons
- 78
- Shells
- 2, 8, 18, 32, 17, 1
- State at 25 °C
- Solid
- Position
- Group 10, period 6
Proton (+)Neutron (0)Electron (−)
Discovered byDescribed by Antonio de Ulloa, 1748
People in South America worked platinum long before Europeans studied it. Its name comes from the Spanish platina, meaning little silver.
Did you know?
- It is extremely unreactive.
- It is used for lab electrodes because it hardly reacts with anything.
Where it's found
- Platinum ores in South Africa and Russia
What it's used for
- Catalytic converters
- Jewellery
- The cancer drug cisplatin
Try it
There's no safe home experiment for Platinum. Explore it with the animated atom above instead.