Te Tellurium     Atomic number : 52 
    Relative atomic mass (12C = 12.0000) :  127.60 
    P H Y S I C A L     D A T A
Group 16 non-metal
 
Density / kg m-3 :  6240 [293 K]; 5797 [liquid at m.p.]
 
Melting point / K :  722.7 
 
Boiling point / K :  1263.0
 
    D I S C O V E R Y
Tellurium was discovered in 1783 by Baron Franz Joseph Müller von Reichenstein at Sibiu, Romania.
 
    G E O L O G I C A L     D A T A
Abundances
 
Sun (relative to H = 1 × 1012) : n.a.
 
Earth's crust / p.p.m. : c. 0.005
 
Residence time / years : n.a.
 
Classification : scaveneged
 
Oxidation state : IV and VI; mainly VI
 
  
 
Seawater / p.p.m. :
    Atlantic surface : 1.6 × 10-7
    Atlantic deep : 0.7 × 10-7
    Pacific surface : 1.9 × 10-7
    Pacific deep : 1.7 × 10-7
    B I O L O G I C A L     D A T A
Level in humans
 
Blood / mg dm-3 : 0.0055
 
Bone / p.p.m. : n.a.
 
Liver / p.p.m. : 0.014
 
Muscle / p.p.m. : 0.017
 
  
 
Daily dietary intake : c. 0.6 mg
 
Total mass of element
in average (70 kg) person :
c. 0.7 mg

 

NetElements II  

A portrait of tellurium is available on the Visual Elements site. Up to 200 individual items of information on this element are available in The Elements.


Text copyright John Emsley 1999.   HTML and page layout copyright Simon Hall 1999.
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NetElements II last modified October 27th, 1999