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The Daily Insight

Why is platinum so stable

Author

Ava Robinson

Updated on April 11, 2026

The chemical stability of a metal comes about in part because it has free electrons in the solid form. Although platinum atom has an electron configuration of [Xe] 4f14 5d9 6s1, its electron configuration in metal platinum is most likely [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s0, which has a closed subshell.

Why is platinum 6s1?

It has one unpaired electron in its d-orbital and one unpaired electron in its s-orbital. Platinum is called a NOBLE METAL and it is so stable. … HOW IS THIS STABILITY ACHIEVED WITH SUCH A CONFIGURATION.

Why is platinum not reactive?

Why is it so incredibly unreactive? While it’s true that Pt has two d-bands crossing the Fermi level, the energy gap between the two orbitals is large enough to make the metal very chemically stable.

Why is platinum an exception?

The electron occupies the higher energy level shell in violation of the Aufbau principle because the atom is more stable that way. … For example, ruthenium, rhodium, silver and platinum are all exceptions to the Aufbau principle because of filled or half-filled subshells.

Why does platinum have a weird electron configuration?

Pt is an exception (as there are some). At this point in the periodic table, s (outer) and d almost have same energy. So, having 4 fully filled and 2 half filled orbitals will be more stable and energetically more favored, than having 5 fully filled and 1 empty. Hence the configuration.

What are 3 interesting facts about platinum?

Platinum is a silver-white metal — it was once known as “white gold.” It is extremely resistant to tarnishing and corrosion (which makes it known as a “noble metal”) and is very soft and malleable, making it easy to shape; ductile, making it easy to stretch into wire; and unreactive, which means it doesn’t oxidize and …

Is platinum an element?

platinum (Pt), chemical element, the best known and most widely used of the six platinum metals of Groups 8–10, Periods 5 and 6, of the periodic table. A very heavy, precious, silver-white metal, platinum is soft and ductile and has a high melting point and good resistance to corrosion and chemical attack.

Why do electrons fill lower shells first?

In an atom, electrons will fill up orbitals in order of increasing energy. The principle quantum number determines the “energy level” of the orbital. Orbitals with lower values of n are usually associated with lower energy and will be filled first.

Is 6s higher in energy than 5d?

So, the orbit in which cells will be filled depends on the energy level and, accordingly, its energy. … Consider the transition of electrons from one sublevel to another in a cerium atom: on the 6s orbital, the energy value is 6, and on 5d sublevel the energy value is 7.

Why do transitions contain 10 elements?

Answer: In transition elements electrons enter the d orbital, which can hold a maximum of 10 electrons, hence only 10 elements in each row.

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Why is platinum so inert?

Platinum is one of the “noble” metals that is known for being highly unreactive. Platinum is so stable that it cannot even be attacked by most acids – only the strongest acid solutions, such as aqua regia (a mixture of anhydrous nitric and hydrochloric acids) can cause it to react.

What makes platinum inert?

Platinum is an inert metal that is capable of easily absorbing hydrogen. The platinum electrodes do not participate in redox reactions while the cell is working, unlike other metals (such as iron, which can easily oxidize). Pure platinum metal – Platinum is the most ductile of the pure metals.

Why is platinum inert?

It is necessary to use an inert electrode, such as platinum, because there is no metal present to conduct the electrons from the anode to the cathode. Oxidation occurs at the anode and reduction at the cathode.

What is the orbital notation for platinum?

QuantityOrbital Occupancy[Xe] 4f14 5d9 6s1Orbital Filling Order[Xe] 6s1 4f14 5d9Term Symbol3D3

Who discovered platinum?

Answers Related to Topic 1: History of Discovering of Pt and Other Related Elements. As pointed out later, Antonio de Ulloa is commonly credited as the first scientist to describe platinum, under the name platina, as a particular metallic mineral.

Why is platinum not 5d10?

Although platinum atom has an electron configuration of [Xe] 4f14 5d9 6s1, its electron configuration in metal platinum is most likely [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s0, which has a closed subshell. Atom with a closed shell or subshell generally has an enhanced stability due to its symmetry.

Why is platinum so rare?

In general, this rare metal is found in deposits of small grains, dust, or small nuggets that averages from 50 to 75% in purity. Small amounts of platinum are obtained by mining other products. However, this metal is normally found in ores that are mixed with other metals like palladium and gold.

How tough is platinum?

Platinum is not a hard metal. It is 4 – 4.5 on the MOHs scale of hardness. This means it can be scratched by anything harder than it is. … That’s about the same hardness as your fingernail.

What is the most expensive metal?

Palladium is the most expensive of the four major precious metals – gold, silver and platinum being the others.

Who can wear platinum?

It can be worn by anyone and with anything – so you will not have to worry about it when choosing a piece. – Lifelong Elegance – As already mentioned, platinum is for a lifetime. You may choose it for engagement rings, wedding rings, cocktail rings or everyday fashion rings.

What is the rarest element on earth?

A team of researchers using the ISOLDE nuclear-physics facility at CERN has measured for the first time the so-called electron affinity of the chemical element astatine, the rarest naturally occurring element on Earth.

Is platinum magnetic yes or no?

As platinum is not magnetic, if your piece is attracted to a magnet, you can safely say it is not platinum. If you notice a slight magnetic pull, then it is more likely your metal is white gold combined with nickel.

What is 1s 2s 2p 3s 3p?

In the question 1s 2s 2p 3s 3p represents electron orbital energy levels. … The sequence of orbital energy levels is as always-1s < 2s = 2p < 3s = 3p = 3d <4s = 4p = 4d= 4f. The orbital having the same energy is called a degenerate orbital.

What is the first D Subshell to fill?

The following diagram shows the orbital filling diagrams for the transition elements in the fourth period. The 3d sublevel has lower energy than the 4p sublevel, so the 3d sublevel fills after the 4s sublevel but before the 4p sublevel.

What is the highest energy orbital?

The order of the electron orbital energy levels, starting from least to greatest, is as follows: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s, 4f, 5d, 6p, 7s, 5f, 6d, 7p. Since electrons all have the same charge, they stay as far away as possible because of repulsion.

Which element does not follow Hund's rule?

Electrons first fill the degenerate orbitals of similar energy. The first electron filled can be either spin up or spin down. Chromium and copper elements violate Hund’s rule.

What is family 18 on the periodic table called?

noble gas, any of the seven chemical elements that make up Group 18 (VIIIa) of the periodic table. The elements are helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), radon (Rn), and oganesson (Og).

Why is Hund's rule true?

The answer to this question involves Hund’s rule. Hund’s rule states that: Every orbital in a sublevel is singly occupied before any orbital is doubly occupied. All of the electrons in singly occupied orbitals have the same spin (to maximize total spin).

Why do transition metals act as catalysts?

Catalytic Activity Transition metals and their compounds function as catalysts either because of their ability to change oxidation state or, in the case of the metals, to adsorb other substances on to their surface and activate them in the process.

Why are there 10 members of each d-block series?

The d-block metals are 10 columns wide due to the nature of the d-electron orbital subshell, which can hold up to 10 electrons in total, 2 per orbital.

Why do transition elements show metallic character?

Transitional elements have a metallic character because they have low ionization energies as well as several empty orbitals in their outer shells. Such a property leads to the formation of metallic bonds in transition metals and hence demonstrates common metallic properties.