Boron (B)
"Boron, the 'Hardness Hero'! This element secretly toughens up everything from armor to glass, and even helps rocket fuel ignite with a brilliant green flame!"
A memorable persona to anchor B in your mind.
2.34
Grams per cm³
2077
Celsius (°C)
192
Radius (pm)
Daily Life Link
That super-tough glass casserole dish your parents use? Boron made it shatterproof!
Discovery & History
Year Discovered
1808
Discovered By
Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac & Louis Jacques Thénard
Origin of Name
"The name is derived from the Arabic 'buraq', which was the name for borax."
Technical Properties
Atomic Mass
10.81 u
Standard State
solid
Boiling Point
4000°C
Electron Configuration
[He] 2s22p1
1st Ionization Energy
8.298 eV
Electron Affinity
N/A
Oxidation States
"It's a dark, shiny crystal or a brownish-black powder – looks like something from a sci-fi movie!"
Did You Know?
Boron is a super-tough guy, ranking as one of the hardest elements on Earth, right after diamond and some diamond-like materials! It's used in armor and abrasives.
It's a true 'metalloid chameleon'! Boron can act like a metal or a nonmetal, giving it unique properties for everything from electronics to super-strong materials.
Want to make awesome slime? Boron's compound, borax, is a key ingredient, giving that gooey fun its perfect stretchy texture!
Those amazing heat-resistant baking dishes (like Pyrex) owe their superpower to Boron, which helps glass handle extreme temperature changes without shattering!