Tellurium Chemical Properties (25 Facts You Should Know)

The periodic table contains various elements among them Tellurium is one element. Let us discuss the chemical properties of the Tellurium element.

Tellurium element comes under rare elements. It is a white-silvery shiny element, brittle, and quite toxic in nature. It is a metalloid that can show both metal and non-metallic characters. Tellurium on burning in the air gives a greenish-blue color flame.

We are learning in this article about electronegativity, atomic number, atomic weight, density, magnetism, isotopes, allotropes, and many more chemical properties of the Tellurium element and some facts about it.

Tellurium symbol

The symbol of the Tellurium element in the periodic table is ‘Te’. The representation of the chemical elements in the form of alphabetic characters using two to three letters is called a chemical symbol.

Te 1
Tellurium element

Tellurium group in periodic table

The Tellurium element occupies a place in the 16th group of the periodic table. It is present after selenium and before polonium elements in the 16th group.

Tellurium period in periodic table

The Tellurium element occupies the place under the 5th period of the periodic table. It is present after antimony and before iodine elements in the 5th period.

Tellurium block in periodic table

The Tellurium element comes under the p-block elements of the periodic table. The periodic table consists of various sections of elements with similar properties of elements known as blocks.

Tellurium atomic number

The Tellurium element has 52 protons in its nucleus, thus it has atomic number 52. The proton number of an element is the same as its atomic number.

Tellurium atomic Weight

The atomic weight of the Tellurium element is 127.6 u.

Tellurium Electronegativity according to Pauling

As per Pauling’s scale, the electronegativity value of the Tellurium element is 2.1. The element’s ability to attract the negatively charged electrons from another atom towards itself is known as electronegativity.

Tellurium atomic Density

The atomic density of the Tellurium element is 6.232 gm/cm3. The atomic quantity of an element measured in per cubic centimeter or unit volume of a substance is called atomic density.

Tellurium melting point

The melting point value of the Tellurium element is 449.51°C (722.66 K, 841.12°F). The evaluated exact temperature value at which the chemical compound or element starts melting is called its melting point.

Tellurium boiling point

The boiling point value of the Tellurium element is 988 °C (1261 K, 1810 °F). The evaluated exact temperature value at which the chemical compound or element starts boiling is called its boiling point.

Tellurium Vanderwaals radius

The VanderWaals radius for Tellurium element is 210 pm. The distance between the nuclei of two atoms binds with each other by weak Vander Waals force of attraction is called its VanderWaals radius.

Tellurium ionic/covalent radius

The covalent radius of the Tellurium element is 138 pm and the ionic radius of the Tellurium element is 221 pm. The atom of an element having a covalent bond shows a covalent radius and the oppositely charged ions of an element showing an ionic radius.

Tellurium isotopes

The elements with atoms having the same protons and different neutrons are called isotopes of that element. Let us see below the isotopes of the Tellurium element.

The natural Tellurium element has 52 protons represented as 52Te and has various stable or unstable isotopes of it. Below given table shows the various isotopes of Tellurium.

Isotopes of Tellurium elementCharacteristics
Tellurium 120, 122, 123, 124, 125, and 126Most stable isotope of Tellurium element
Tellurium 128 – 128TeIsotope of Tellurium shows double-decay with a half-life value of 2.2×1024 y.
Tellurium 130 – 130TeIsotope of Tellurium shows double-decay with a half-life value of 8.2×1020 y.
Tellurium 121 – 121TeIsotope of Tellurium with a half-life value of 16.78 days.
Tellurium 129 – 129TeIsotope of Tellurium with half-life value of  69.6 min.
Tellurium isotopes

Tellurium electronic shell

The atomic orbitals of an element contain electrons in a sequential form known as its electronic shell. Let us see the electronic shell of the Tellurium element.

The electronic shell of the Tellurium element has a sequence of electrons in its atomic orbitals as 2, 8,18, 18, and 6.

Tellurium energy of first ionization

The first ionization energy of the Tellurium element is 869.294kJ mol‑1.

Tellurium energy of second ionization

The second ionization energy value of the Tellurium element is 1794.6 kJ mol‑1.

Tellurium energy of third ionization

The third ionization energy value of the Tellurium element is 2697.73 kJ mol‑1.

Tellurium oxidation states

The oxidation state of the Tellurium atom is −2, −1, 0, +1, +2, +3, +4, +5, and +6 but the -2, +2, +4, and +6 is the most prominent oxidation states of the Tellurium element. The affinity of atoms of an element to donate or accept the electrons for bond formation is the oxidation state.

Tellurium electron configurations

The electrons get dispersed in the subshells of their atoms in some precise manner known as the electronic configuration. Let us see the electronic configuration of the Tellurium element.

The electronic configuration for the Tellurium atom is given below:

  • 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10 4p6 5s2 4d10 5p4 or
  • [Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p4

Tellurium CAS number

The CAS number for the Tellurium element is 13494-80-9. The U. S. Chemical Abstracts Services (CAS) gives a registered unique identification number to every chemical is called the CAS number.

Tellurium ChemSpider ID

The ChemSpider ID of the Tellurium atom is 4885717. The overall data of each chemical element delivered by the service of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) with a unique ID is called its ChemSpider ID.

Tellurium allotropic forms

The atoms of the same element with a different form of its structure are called the allotropes of that element. Let us see below the various allotropes of the tellurium element.

The Tellurium element shows two allotropes as follows:

  • Crystalline tellurium has white-silvery lustrous color.
  • Amorphous tellurium is a black-brown color powder formed from tellurous or telluric acid.

Tellurium chemical classification

The tellurium element is classified as a metalloid in the periodic table.

Tellurium state at room temperature

The Tellurium element is a solid element at room temperature.

Is Tellurium paramagnetic?

The atoms of elements contain paired or unpaired electrons in their outer orbitals showing paramagnetic or diamagnetic nature. Let us see Tellurium’s magnetic nature.

The Tellurium element is paramagnetic in nature. It contains two unpaired electrons in its outer subshell. Thus the Tellurium element has unfilled the last orbital and on the application of an external magnetic field it gets attracts towards the magnetic field.

Conclusion:

The tellurium element has the symbol Te. It has the atomic number 52. It comes under the 15th group, 5th period, and p-block element of the periodic table. Tellurium is paramagnetic and has two allotropes as crystalline and amorphous tellurium.