87FrFrancium223[Rn] 7s¹
alkali metal

Francium

Francium is a chemical element with symbol Fr and atomic number 87. It used to be known as eka-caesium and actinium K. It is the second-least electronegative element, behind only caesium. Francium is a highly radioactive metal that decays into astatine, radium, and radon.

Electronic structure

A stylized shell model. Electrons are quantum objects, not particles following these literal paths. Sizes and motion are illustrative.

Electrons by shell
Electron configuration
7s1

86 is the [Rn] core total across six shells.

Properties

At a glance

Atomic number
87
Atomic mass
223 u
Phase
Solid
Density
1.87 g/cm³
Melting point
300 K
Boiling point
950 K
First ionization energy
380 kJ/mol
Electronegativity
0.79
Electron affinity
46.89 kJ/mol
Molar heat capacity
Unavailable
Period
7
Appearance
Unavailable

Conditions and isotopes affect measured properties. Some properties of short-lived elements are predicted. Electronegativity uses the Pauling scale.

Keep exploring

Explore the stories, imagery, and reference data in more depth. Properties with no value in the reference are marked unavailable.