Rb Rubidium     Atomic number : 37 
    Relative atomic mass (12C = 12.0000) :  85.4678 
    P H Y S I C A L     D A T A
Group 1 alkali metal
 
Density / kg m-3 :  1532 [293 K]; 1475 [liquid at m.p.]
 
Melting point / K :  312.2 
 
Boiling point / K :  961
 
    D I S C O V E R Y
Rubidium was discovered in 1861 by R.W. Bunsen and G. Kirchoff at the University of Heidelberg, Germany.
 
    G E O L O G I C A L     D A T A
Abundances
 
Sun (relative to H = 1 × 1012) : 400
 
Earth's crust / p.p.m. : 90
 
Classification : accumulating
 
Oxidation state : I
 
  
 
Seawater / p.p.m. : 0.12
    B I O L O G I C A L     D A T A
Level in humans
 
Blood / mg dm-3 : 2.49
 
Bone / p.p.m. : 0.5 - 5
 
Liver / p.p.m. : 20 - 70
 
Muscle / p.p.m. : 20 - 70
 
  
 
Daily dietary intake : 1.5 - 6 mg
 
Total mass of element
in average (70 kg) person :
680 mg

 

NetElements II  

A portrait of rubidium 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