38SrStrontium87.621[Kr] 5s²
alkaline earth metal

Strontium

Strontium is a chemical element with symbol Sr and atomic number 38. An alkaline earth metal, strontium is a soft silver-white or yellowish metallic element that is highly reactive chemically. The metal turns yellow when it is exposed to air.

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
5s2

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

Properties

At a glance

Atomic number
38
Atomic mass
87.621 u
Phase
Solid
Density
2.64 g/cm³
Melting point
1,050 K
Boiling point
1,650 K
First ionization energy
549.5 kJ/mol
Electronegativity
0.95
Electron affinity
5.023 kJ/mol
Molar heat capacity
26.4 J/(mol·K)
Period
5
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.