Bismuth (Bi)
Element 83 · post-transition metal · group 15, period 6
Bismuth is element 83, a post-transition metal in group 15 and period 6. Its electron configuration is [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p3. That leaves 5 valence electrons in the outer shell, with the shells filling 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 5. It is 3 electrons short of a full octet, so it gains them and carries a charge of +3.
- 83 protons
- 5 valence e−
- +3
- p-block
Bismuth Lewis dot structure
Bismuth has 5 valence electrons, so its Lewis symbol carries 5 dots: one pair and three single dots. The dots go one to a side before any of them pair up, so the unpaired ones show exactly how many bonds the atom tends to form. The ion has given those electrons away, which is why it is drawn in brackets with none.
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Properties
| Atomic number | 83 |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Bi |
| Standard atomic weight | 208.98 u |
| Group | 15 |
| Period | 6 |
| Block | p-block |
| Category | post-transition metal |
| Electron configuration | 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 4f14 5s2 5p6 5d10 6s2 6p3 |
| Noble-gas notation | [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p3 |
| Electrons per shell | 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 5 |
| Valence electrons | 5 |
| Common ionic charge | +3 |
| Electronegativity (Pauling) | 2.02 |
| Protons / electrons | 83 / 83 |
Electron configuration of bismuth
Orbitals fill from the lowest energy upward. Writing that out for bismuth gives 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 4f14 5s2 5p6 5d10 6s2 6p3, which is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 4f14 5s2 5p6 5d10 6s2 6p3 in plain text.
Everything up to Xe is the same as in that noble gas, so it is usually abbreviated to [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p3. The part outside the bracket is what does the chemistry.
| Subshell | Electrons | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| 1s | 2 | 2 |
| 2s | 2 | 2 |
| 2p | 6 | 6 |
| 3s | 2 | 2 |
| 3p | 6 | 6 |
| 3d | 10 | 10 |
| 4s | 2 | 2 |
| 4p | 6 | 6 |
| 4d | 10 | 10 |
| 4f | 14 | 14 |
| 5s | 2 | 2 |
| 5p | 6 | 6 |
| 5d | 10 | 10 |
| 6s | 2 | 2 |
| 6p | 3 | 6 |
Bismuth ion charge
Bismuth commonly forms ions with a charge of +3.
It has 5 valence electrons, so it is 3 short of a full octet and 5 above an empty outer shell. An atom takes whichever route is shorter, which is why the charge comes out as it does.
Common questions
What is the Lewis dot structure of bismuth?
The symbol Bi with 5 dots, one for each valence electron: one pair and three single dots. Dots go one to a side before any pair up, the same way electrons fill separate orbitals before sharing one. The Bi3+ ion is drawn in brackets with no dots, because it has lost them.
How many valence electrons does bismuth have?
Bismuth has 5 valence electrons. For a main-group element the count is the group number minus 10, and bismuth is in group 15.
What is the electron configuration of bismuth?
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 4f14 5s2 5p6 5d10 6s2 6p3, or [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p3 written from the previous noble gas. Orbitals fill lowest energy first.
What is the charge of bismuth?
Bismuth commonly forms ions with a charge of +3. With 5 valence electrons it is 3 short of an octet and 5 above an empty shell, so it takes whichever route is shorter.
How many protons, electrons and neutrons does bismuth have?
A neutral bismuth atom has 83 protons and 83 electrons. Its standard atomic weight is 208.98, so the most common isotope has about 126 neutrons.
Nearby elements
See the ionic charge of every element →