Germanium (Ge)
"The Silent Conductor, Germanium channels the flow of information through the digital world, making sure your devices hum with quiet efficiency and blazing speed."
A memorable persona to anchor Ge in your mind.
5.323
Grams per cm³
938.25
Celsius (°C)
211
Radius (pm)
Daily Life Link
It's secretly boosting the internet speeds zipping to your device right now!
Discovery & History
Year Discovered
1886
Discovered By
Clemens Winkler
Origin of Name
"The name is derived from the Latin name for Germany, ''Germania''."
Technical Properties
Atomic Mass
72.63 u
Standard State
solid
Boiling Point
2833°C
Electron Configuration
[Ar] 3d104s24p2
1st Ionization Energy
7.9 eV
Electron Affinity
N/A
Oxidation States
"A shimmering, steely gray metalloid, it looks a bit like a piece of polished space rock."
Did You Know?
Before it was even found, Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev predicted its existence and properties in 1869, calling it 'eka-silicon'! He was spot on.
Discovered in 1886 by Clemens Winkler in Germany, this element was proudly named 'Germanium' after his home country. Talk about national pride!
Germanium is a metalloid, meaning it's a bit of a chameleon, showing off properties of both metals (like electrical conductivity) and nonmetals (like brittleness).
It was the material of choice for the *very first* high-speed transistors, kickstarting the electronic revolution before silicon eventually took the crown for most uses.