Manganese (Mn)
Element 25 · Transition metal · Solid at 25 °C · Group 7, Period 4
Manganese is essential to steelmaking — nearly all steel contains some — and manganese dioxide powers everyday alkaline batteries.
On the periodic table, manganese sits in group 7 in period 4. It is one of 38 elements classified as a transition metal, and at room temperature (25 °C) it is a solid.
Transition metals occupy the wide d-block in the middle of the table. As a family they are hard, dense, high-melting metals that conduct heat and electricity well. Their partly filled d-orbitals let many of them take several oxidation states, form vividly colored compounds, and act as catalysts — which is why so much of industry, and so much of biology, runs on this block.
Properties of manganese
| Atomic number (Z) | 25 |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Mn |
| Atomic mass | 54.938 |
| Category | Transition metal |
| Group | 7 |
| Period | 4 |
| Block | d-block |
| Metal / nonmetal | Metal |
| State at 25 °C | Solid |
| Electron configuration | [Ar] 3d5 4s2 |
| Electronegativity (Pauling) | 1.55 |
| Melting point | 1,246 °C (1,519.15 K / 2,274.8 °F) |
| Boiling point | 2,061 °C (2,334.15 K / 3,741.8 °F) |
| Density | 7.21 g/cm³ |
Position in the periodic table
Manganese shares group 7 with Technetium (Tc), Rhenium (Re), Bohrium (Bh). 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
Manganese melts at 1,246 °C (1,519.15 K / 2,274.8 °F) and boils at 2,061 °C (2,334.15 K / 3,741.8 °F), giving it a liquid range of about 815 °C at standard pressure.
Its density is 7.21 g/cm³.
See also: the interactive periodic table, how to read the periodic table, periodic trends.