Atomic / phase data
Reference values including the 302.9146 K melting point are evaluated.
α-Ga structure
Ordinary α-gallium is orthorhombic with unusual paired-atom bonding; viewer is schematic.
Semiconductor compounds
GaAs/GaN are distinct compounds and are not represented as pure gallium.
Commodity geography
Selected supply countries are dated by-product/production context.
The lens describes evidence status, not confidence theatre. “Unknown” is kept unknown, and teaching schematics are not presented as direct measurements.
Gallium (Ga)
Gallium is element 31, a soft metal famous for melting at only about 302.9 K (29.8 °C). Its real scientific story is richer than the melting trick: unusual α-Ga bonding, Ga³⁺ chemistry, and semiconductor compounds such as GaAs and GaN connect atomic structure to modern electronics.
Gallium atomic number, mass, electron configuration and key properties
Gallium: quick answers
How many protons, neutrons and electrons does gallium have?
Gallium’s atomic number is 31, so every gallium atom has 31 protons, and a neutral atom also has 31 electrons. Its most common natural isotope, gallium-69, has 38 neutrons (other isotopes have different neutron counts).
What is the symbol for gallium?
The chemical symbol for gallium is Ga.
Is gallium a solid, liquid or gas at room temperature?
Gallium is a solid at room temperature (about 25 °C). It melts at about 29.8 °C, so it can melt in a warm hand.
What family (group) is gallium in?
Gallium is a post-transition metal, in group 13, period 4 of the periodic table.
How many valence electrons does gallium have?
Gallium has 3 valence electrons, the electrons in its outer shell, which matches its position in group 13.
What is the electron configuration of gallium?
The ground-state electron configuration of gallium is [Ar] 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p¹.
From atomic number to chemistry
Read these as a chain of causes, not as isolated facts. Each step links to the concept hub if you want the underlying idea explained.
31 protons define gallium.
The reference ground-state configuration frames atomic and chemical behavior.
Periodic position organizes recurring trends without replacing element-specific evidence.
The teaching nucleus is one isotope, not the relative atomic mass.
Phase claims preserve measured/evaluated/predicted/unknown evidence labels.
Gallium in its period and family
Gallium is the Period 4 Group 13 element below aluminium. Its 4s²4p¹ outer pattern supports +3 chemistry, while filled 3d electrons and solid-state bonding make its material behavior distinctly gallium-like.
Gallium Visual Lab
Compare Ga with Ga³⁺, rotate a ⁶⁹Ga teaching nucleus and α-Ga paired-atom motif, inspect 4s/4p probability clouds, then use the temperature explorer to cross the near-room-temperature melting point.
Every mark points to one exact feature
The numbered markers explain the same information system used throughout Element Lookup. Unknown or predicted fields remain visibly labelled rather than being replaced with guesses.
Gallium in one minute
Atomic number 31 means 31 protons.
Neutral gallium has the configuration [Ar] 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p¹.
Gallium melts at about 302.9 K, only slightly above typical room temperature.
Ordinary α-gallium has unusual paired-atom bonding rather than a simple close-packed metal lattice.
GaAs and GaN are compounds; their semiconductor properties are not properties of pure gallium metal.
Shell rings organize electron counts. They are not electron trajectories or orbital shapes.
2 · 8 · 18 · 3 electrons
The 4s and 4p clouds are isolated-atom probability teaching models. They do not represent the electron density of α-gallium metal or GaAs/GaN bands.
Ordinary α-gallium has an unusual orthorhombic structure with strongly paired Ga atoms. The viewer uses a paired-atom orthorhombic teaching motif, not a crystallographic coordinate file.. The viewer is evidence-aware: measured structures are identified as such; unknown bulk structures stay unknown.
Teaching visualization; not a literal finite sample or thermal trajectory.What this model does—and does not—show
The 4s and 4p clouds are isolated-atom probability teaching models. They do not represent the electron density of α-gallium metal or GaAs/GaN bands.
Where do I meet gallium?
Clickable learning cards connect the element to materials, environment, technology, biology or research - depending on what the evidence actually supports.
Low melting point
Gallium melts near 29.8 °C, so modest warming can turn the metal liquid; the phase slider makes this boundary explicit.
α-Ga solid → near-room-temperature liquid → semiconductor compounds
Gallium’s signature science links an unusual metal structure and exceptionally low melting point to high-value compound-semiconductor chemistry.
α-Ga paired solid
At ordinary room temperature below 29.8 °C, gallium is an orthorhombic solid with unusual paired-atom bonding.
Aluminium, gallium and indium
The ns²np¹ pattern repeats while metallic bonding, melting behavior and semiconductor chemistry change.
| Valence | 3s²3p¹ |
|---|---|
| Melt | 933 K |
| Valence | 4s²4p¹ |
|---|---|
| Melt | 302.9 K |
| Valence | 5s²5p¹ |
|---|---|
| Context | soft post-transition metal |
Gallium properties: atomic, physical, thermal and chemical
Categories follow the science of this element rather than a fixed decorative template. Each row carries condition/provenance context and an evidence label; unknown values stay unknown.
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atomic number | 31 | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Relative atomic mass | 69.723 | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Ground-state electron configuration | [Ar] 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p¹ | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Group / period / block | Group 13 · Period 4 · p-block | Periodic-table placement | Evaluated |
| Electronegativity | 1.81 | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Reference isotope | ⁶⁹Ga | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| State context | Soft silvery metal; solid at 20 °C and melts just above typical room temperature | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Density | 5.91 g/cm³ | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Material / molecular structure | α-gallium · orthorhombic | Ordinary α-gallium has an unusual orthorhombic structure with strongly paired Ga atoms. The viewer uses a paired-atom orthorhombic teaching motif, not a crystallographic coordinate file. | Measured |
| Classification | Post-transition metal | Periodic-table / chemistry classification | Evaluated |
| Structure-model scope | Ordinary α-gallium has an unusual orthorhombic structure with strongly paired Ga atoms. The viewer uses a paired-atom orthorhombic teaching motif, not a crystallographic coordinate file. | Teaching visualization; exact crystallographic coordinates are not implied unless stated. | Reviewed |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting / transition reference | 302.9146 K | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Boiling / gas reference | 2502 K | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Phase-path context | At approximately standard pressure, α-gallium is solid below 302.9146 K, liquid from the melting point to about 2502 K, and gaseous above the boiling reference. | Shared phase registry drives the slider, regions and markers. | Evaluated |
| Condition warning | Temperature and pressure define phase behavior; purity/allotropy may matter. | Teaching condition statement | Reviewed |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary electrical behavior | Metallic conductor | Qualitative bulk behavior; exact resistivity depends on temperature, purity and alloy state. | Measured |
| Conduction model | Collective solid-state electrons | Do not interpret isolated-atom orbital clouds as literal current paths. | Reviewed |
| Surface / compound caveat | Oxides, salts and alloys can behave differently from the pure metal | Material context | Reviewed |
| Engineering values | Condition-dependent | Use condition-specific materials data for engineering calculations. | Reviewed |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common oxidation states | +3, +1 | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Ion / common ion context | Ga³⁺ | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Periodic chemistry context | Gallium is the Period 4 Group 13 element below aluminium. Its 4s²4p¹ outer pattern supports +3 chemistry, while filled 3d electrons and solid-state bonding make its material behavior distinctly gallium-like. | Element-specific interpretation | Reviewed |
| Chemistry caution | Elemental form, ions and compounds are distinct chemical objects. | Interpretive teaching rule | Reviewed |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⁶⁹Ga | Stable natural isotope | Reference teaching nucleus with 31 protons and 38 neutrons. | Evaluated |
| ⁷¹Ga | Stable natural isotope | The other stable natural gallium isotope. | Evaluated |
| Gallium isotope context | Two stable natural isotopes | Relative atomic mass reflects their terrestrial abundance mixture. | Evaluated |
| Teaching nucleus | ⁶⁹Ga · 31 protons + 38 neutrons | Reference isotope used in the nucleus model | Reviewed |
Is Gallium a solid, liquid or gas? State at temperature
At approximately standard pressure, α-gallium is solid below 302.9146 K, liquid from the melting point to about 2502 K, and gaseous above the boiling reference.
Where on Earth is Gallium found or produced?
Who discovered Gallium, and when?
Mendeleev predicted an element below aluminium and called it eka-aluminium.
Paul-Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran detected gallium spectroscopically and isolated the new element.
Gallium compounds became important semiconductor materials.
Gallium supply is strongly tied to by-product recovery and high-value semiconductor uses.
From by-product recovery to gallium materials: high-level supply path
Gallium is widely dispersed and is commonly recovered from process streams associated with other mined materials rather than from dedicated gallium ore bodies.
Refining concentrates gallium into high-purity metal or chemical feedstocks.
Semiconductor manufacture converts high-purity feedstocks into compounds such as GaAs or GaN under tightly controlled industrial processes; this page does not provide fabrication recipes.
Recycling and recovery from manufacturing residues can supplement primary supply.
What is gallium used for?
Semiconductors
GaAs and GaN enable LEDs, lasers, RF electronics and power devices.
Specialty alloys
Gallium can lower melting temperatures in selected metal systems.
Research & metrology
Gallium phase points and high-purity materials support scientific measurement and materials research.
Optoelectronics
Gallium compounds are central to many light-emitting and light-detecting devices.
Gallium isotopes and natural abundance
⁶⁹Ga
Stable natural isotopeReference teaching nucleus with 31 protons and 38 neutrons.
⁷¹Ga
Stable natural isotopeThe other stable natural gallium isotope.
Gallium isotope context
Two stable natural isotopesRelative atomic mass reflects their terrestrial abundance mixture.
Five-question Gallium check
What is gallium’s atomic number?
Why can gallium melt in a warm hand?
What is the simple outer configuration?
Which is a gallium compound semiconductor?
What does the α-Ga structure viewer represent?
Gallium questions students commonly ask
Each answer starts with the direct fact, then explains the chemistry, evidence or material context so the result is understandable rather than merely memorized.
What is gallium used for?
Short answer: Gallium is especially important in compound semiconductors such as GaAs and GaN, and it is also used in specialty alloys and research.
Semiconductors: GaAs and GaN enable LEDs, lasers, RF electronics and power devices. Specialty alloys: Gallium can lower melting temperatures in selected metal systems. A spoon-melting demonstration is memorable, but it should not become the whole gallium page. Pure gallium, Ga³⁺ compounds and gallium-based semiconductors are different material contexts with different structures and properties.
Key point: Always distinguish the pure element from the compound, alloy, isotope or device material that actually performs the application.
Is gallium a metal?
Short answer: Yes. Gallium is a post-transition metal.
This guide classifies Gallium as a post-transition metal. Its periodic position is Period 4, p-block, Group 13. Gallium is the Period 4 Group 13 element below aluminium. Its 4s²4p¹ outer pattern supports +3 chemistry, while filled 3d electrons and solid-state bonding make its material behavior distinctly gallium-like.
Key point: Periodic-table classification describes recurring atomic/chemical behavior; it does not make every element in a column physically identical.
What is gallium’s melting point?
Short answer: About 302.9146 K, or 29.8 °C.
At approximately standard pressure, α-gallium is solid below 302.9146 K, liquid from the melting point to about 2502 K, and gaseous above the boiling reference.
Key point: Phase statements need temperature, pressure and evidence context.
How many valence electrons does gallium have?
Short answer: Three in the simple outer-shell count: 4s²4p¹.
The neutral-atom ground-state reference used on this page is [Ar] 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p¹. This is an isolated-atom reference: bonding and ion formation can change which outer electrons are present or chemically active. The listed common oxidation-state context is +3, +1, which helps connect the atomic configuration to ordinary chemistry without treating electron counting as a single universal rule.
Key point: Electron configuration is a ground-state atomic reference, not a literal picture of every compound.
Where is gallium found?
Short answer: It is dispersed in minerals and is commonly recovered as a by-product of processing bauxite-related and zinc-related materials.
Gallium is widely dispersed and is commonly recovered from process streams associated with other mined materials rather than from dedicated gallium ore bodies. By-product supply Commercial gallium is recovered mainly as a by-product of processing other ores, especially bauxite-related and zinc-related streams.
Key point: Natural occurrence, resources, production and recycling are different geography questions.
Who discovered gallium?
Short answer: Paul-Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran identified it in 1875.
In 1871, Mendeleev predicted an element below aluminium and called it eka-aluminium. In 1875, Paul-Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran detected gallium spectroscopically and isolated the new element.
Key point: Discovery credit follows the historical evidence and accepted attribution, not just the earliest claim.
Scientific sources for Gallium
- Royal Society of Chemistry - Gallium
- NIST - Atomic Data for Gallium
- USGS - Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026
Questions to ask next about Gallium
A good element lesson should lead to the next useful question, not end after a list of facts.
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