Lead (Pb)
Element 82 · Post-transition metal · Solid at 25 °C · Group 14, Period 6
Lead is dense, soft, and easy to cast — the Romans plumbed with it (hence “plumbing”). Today it powers car batteries and shields against radiation.
On the periodic table, lead sits in group 14 — the carbon group — in period 6. It is one of 12 elements classified as a post-transition metal, and at room temperature (25 °C) it is a solid.
The post-transition metals sit between the transition metals and the metalloids. They are genuine metals — shiny and conductive — but softer, weaker, and lower-melting than the d-block metals, and their chemistry has more covalent character. Everyday examples from this family include aluminium foil, tin cans, and lead batteries.
Properties of lead
| Atomic number (Z) | 82 |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Pb |
| Atomic mass | 207.2 |
| Category | Post-transition metal |
| Group | 14 |
| Period | 6 |
| Block | p-block |
| Metal / nonmetal | Metal |
| State at 25 °C | Solid |
| Electron configuration | [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p2 |
| Electronegativity (Pauling) | 2.33 |
| Melting point | 327.46 °C (600.61 K / 621.43 °F) |
| Boiling point | 1,749 °C (2,022.15 K / 3,180.2 °F) |
| Density | 11.34 g/cm³ |
Position in the periodic table
Lead shares group 14 — the carbon group with Carbon (C), Silicon (Si), Germanium (Ge), Tin (Sn), Flerovium (Fl). Elements in the same group have the same number of outer electrons, so they tend to behave alike chemically — comparing them is one of the fastest ways to see periodic trends in action.
Physical properties
Lead melts at 327.46 °C (600.61 K / 621.43 °F) and boils at 1,749 °C (2,022.15 K / 3,180.2 °F), giving it a liquid range of about 1,421.5 °C at standard pressure.
Its density is 11.34 g/cm³.
See also: the interactive periodic table, how to read the periodic table, metals, nonmetals & metalloids.