Chromium Facts for Kids

Chromium - Periodic Table of Elements
  • Name: Chromium
  • Symbol: Cr
  • Atomic Number: 24
  • Atomic Weight: 51.9961 u
  • Period: 4
  • Group: 6

28 Chromium Facts for Kids

  1. Chromium is a chemical element on the periodic table.
  2. Chromium is a hard and brittle metal.
  3. Chromium has a lustrous steel-grey color in its pure form.
  4. The symbol for chromium is Cr.
  5. The atomic number for chromium is 24.
  6. The standard atomic weight for chromium is 51.9961 u.
  7. Chromium is a solid at room temperature.
  8. Chromium is in the transition metal element category on the periodic table.
  9. Chromium is a period 4 chemical element, which is the fourth row on the periodic table.
  10. Chromium is a group 6 chemical element, which is the chromium group.
  11. Chromium is in in the d-block on the periodic table of elements.
  12. The electron configuration for chromium is [Ar] 3d5 4s1.
  13. The electrons per shell for chromium are 2, 8, 13, 1.
  14. Chromium has three known stable isotopes.
  15. The three known stable isotopes for chromium are 52Cr, 53Cr and 54Cr.
  16. The most abundant chromium stable isotope is 52Cr.
  17. The melting point for chromium is 3,465 °F (1,907 °C).
  18. The boiling point for chromium is 4,840 °F (2,671 °C).
  19. In 1974, French chemist Louis Nicolas Vauquelin first isolated chromium and is considered the person who discovered it.
  20. Chromium is the 21st most abundant element found in the Earth’s crust.
  21. The most important ore for chromium production is chromite.
  22. In 2013, the worldwide production of chromium was over 31 million tons.
  23. The largest producer of chromium in the world is South Africa.
  24. Most of the chromium produced annually is used to make metal alloys.
  25. Chromium is used to create stainless steel, which is a metal alloy that is corrosion-resistant.
  26. Chromium is used in chrome plating, which is the thin coating of metal used for decorating and corrosion resistance.
  27. The compound chromium(III) oxide (Cr2O3) is used to polish metal.
  28. The compound chromic acid is used to clean laboratory glassware and to remove all traces of organic material.

Additional Resources on the Chemical Element Chromium

  • Chromium – Learn more about the chemical element chromium on the U.S. National Library of Medicine website.
  • Chromium (Cr) – Discover more facts about chromium on the Royal Society of Chemistry website.
  • Chromium – Wikipedia – Find more chromium facts on the Wikipedia website.

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