44RuRuthenium101.072[Kr] 4d⁷ 5s¹
transition metal

Ruthenium

Ruthenium is a chemical element with symbol Ru and atomic number 44. It is a rare transition metal belonging to the platinum group of the periodic table. Like the other metals of the platinum group, ruthenium is inert to most other chemicals.

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
4d7
5s1

36 is the [Kr] core total across four shells.

Properties

At a glance

Atomic number
44
Atomic mass
101.072 u
Phase
Solid
Density
12.45 g/cm³
Melting point
2,607 K
Boiling point
4,423 K
First ionization energy
710.2 kJ/mol
Electronegativity
2.2
Electron affinity
100.96 kJ/mol
Molar heat capacity
24.06 J/(mol·K)
Period
5
Appearance
silvery white metallic

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.