Atomic / phase data
Reference values are evaluated.
BCC structure
Ordinary vanadium metal is BCC.
Oxidation states
Multiple oxidation states are experimentally established in compounds/ions.
Applications
Alloy, catalyst and flow-battery contexts distinguish compounds from metal.
Geography
Commodity context is dated/selective.
The lens describes evidence status, not confidence theatre. “Unknown” is kept unknown, and teaching schematics are not presented as direct measurements.
Vanadium (V)
Vanadium is element 23, a Group 5 transition metal whose BCC metal, multiple oxidation states and strong alloying chemistry connect atomic d electrons to high-strength steels, catalysts and redox-flow batteries.
Vanadium atomic number, mass, electron configuration and key properties
Vanadium: quick answers
How many protons, neutrons and electrons does vanadium have?
Vanadium’s atomic number is 23, so every vanadium atom has 23 protons, and a neutral atom also has 23 electrons. Its most common natural isotope, vanadium-51, has 28 neutrons (other isotopes have different neutron counts).
What is the symbol for vanadium?
The chemical symbol for vanadium is V.
Is vanadium a solid, liquid or gas at room temperature?
Vanadium is a solid at room temperature (about 25 °C).
What family (group) is vanadium in?
Vanadium is a transition metal, in group 5, period 4 of the periodic table.
What is the electron configuration of vanadium?
The ground-state electron configuration of vanadium is [Ar] 3d³ 4s².
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.
23 protons define vanadium.
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.
Vanadium in its period and family
Vanadium lies between titanium and chromium in Period 4 and heads Group 5. The [Ar] 3d³4s² reference configuration provides several accessible d-electron oxidation states.
Vanadium Visual Lab
Explore V across the teaching nucleus, isolated-atom orbitals, evidence-aware material structure and temperature/evidence views, then connect those models to uses, isotopes and source-backed context.
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.
Vanadium in one minute
Atomic number 23 means 23 protons.
Vanadium is a Group 5 transition metal.
Ordinary vanadium metal is BCC.
Several oxidation states—especially +2 to +5—are chemically important.
Most vanadium use is through alloys or compounds, not decorative pure metal.
Shell rings organize electron counts. They are not electron trajectories or orbital shapes.
2 · 8 · 11 · 2 electrons
Representative 3d and 4s probability models describe an isolated atom. Metallic bands and compound ligand fields reorganize these electrons.
Pure vanadium is BCC under ordinary conditions. The viewer shows a conventional body-centred cubic teaching cell.. 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
Representative 3d and 4s probability models describe an isolated atom. Metallic bands and compound ligand fields reorganize these electrons.
Where do I meet vanadium?
Clickable learning cards connect the element to materials, environment, technology, biology or research - depending on what the evidence actually supports.
Steel alloys
Vanadium additions can strengthen steels through controlled alloy and microstructure chemistry.
BCC metal → multivalent ions → alloy/catalyst/redox technology
Vanadium demonstrates why transition-metal chemistry cannot be summarized by one valence count.
BCC vanadium
Pure vanadium is a BCC transition metal.
Vanadium, niobium and tantalum
Group 5 transition metals share multivalent d-block chemistry while mass, refractory behavior and detailed electronic structure change.
| Config | 3d³4s² |
|---|---|
| Melt | 2183 K |
| Config | 4d⁴5s¹ |
|---|---|
| Context | refractory metal |
| Config | 5d³6s² |
|---|---|
| Context | very refractory |
Vanadium 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 | 23 | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Relative atomic mass | 50.942 | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Ground-state electron configuration | [Ar] 3d³ 4s² | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Group / period / block | Group 5 · Period 4 · d-block | Periodic-table placement | Evaluated |
| Electronegativity | 1.63 | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Reference isotope | ⁵¹V | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| State context | Silvery-gray transition metal | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Density | 6.0 g/cm³ | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Material / molecular structure | Body-centred cubic | Pure vanadium is BCC under ordinary conditions. The viewer shows a conventional body-centred cubic teaching cell. | Measured |
| Classification | Transition metal | Periodic-table / chemistry classification | Evaluated |
| Structure-model scope | Pure vanadium is BCC under ordinary conditions. The viewer shows a conventional body-centred cubic teaching cell. | Teaching visualization; exact crystallographic coordinates are not implied unless stated. | Reviewed |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting / transition reference | 2183 K | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Boiling / gas reference | 3680 K | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Phase-path context | At approximately standard pressure, vanadium is solid below 2183 K, liquid to about 3680 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 | +5, +4, +3, +2 | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Ion / common ion context | V³⁺ | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Periodic chemistry context | Vanadium lies between titanium and chromium in Period 4 and heads Group 5. The [Ar] 3d³4s² reference configuration provides several accessible d-electron oxidation states. | Element-specific interpretation | Reviewed |
| Chemistry caution | Elemental form, ions and compounds are distinct chemical objects. | Interpretive teaching rule | Reviewed |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⁵¹V | Stable natural isotope | Dominant natural isotope and reference teaching nucleus. | Evaluated |
| ⁵⁰V | Extremely long-lived natural radioisotope | A minor natural isotope with a very long half-life. | Evaluated |
| Natural vanadium | Mostly ⁵¹V | Relative atomic mass is close to 51 because ⁵¹V dominates. | Evaluated |
| Teaching nucleus | ⁵¹V · 23 protons + 28 neutrons | Reference isotope used in the nucleus model | Reviewed |
Is Vanadium a solid, liquid or gas? State at temperature
At approximately standard pressure, vanadium is solid below 2183 K, liquid to about 3680 K, and gaseous above the boiling reference.
Where on Earth is Vanadium found or produced?
Who discovered Vanadium, and when?
Andrés Manuel del Río discovered the element in Mexico but his claim was not initially accepted.
Nils Gabriel Sefström rediscovered the element and named it vanadium.
Friedrich Wöhler recognized that del Río’s earlier material had contained the same element.
Vanadium became important in alloy steels, catalysts and electrochemical energy storage.
From vanadium-bearing feedstocks to alloys and compounds: high-level path
Vanadium is obtained from several resource types, including vanadiferous titanomagnetite, slags and other mineral or petroleum-related streams.
Industrial refining converts vanadium into metal-alloy feedstocks or chemical compounds.
Steel and titanium metallurgy use controlled additions, while chemical industries use vanadium compounds.
Recovery from industrial residues and spent catalysts can contribute secondary supply.
What is vanadium used for?
High-strength steel
Vanadium microalloying supports strength and toughness in selected steels.
Titanium alloys
Vanadium is used in important aerospace and engineering titanium alloys.
Catalysts
V₂O₅ and other vanadium compounds catalyze industrial reactions.
Redox-flow batteries
Multiple vanadium oxidation states enable all-vanadium flow-battery chemistry.
Vanadium isotopes and natural abundance
⁵¹V
Stable natural isotopeDominant natural isotope and reference teaching nucleus.
⁵⁰V
Extremely long-lived natural radioisotopeA minor natural isotope with a very long half-life.
Natural vanadium
Mostly ⁵¹VRelative atomic mass is close to 51 because ⁵¹V dominates.
Five-question Vanadium check
What is vanadium’s atomic number?
What is its ordinary metal structure?
Why are several oxidation states important?
Which application uses several V oxidation states directly?
What is the dominant natural isotope?
Vanadium 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 vanadium?
Short answer: Vanadium is chemical element 23, a transition metal in Group 5.
Atomic number 23 means every vanadium nucleus contains 23 protons. In the periodic table, Vanadium is classified here as a transition metal in Period 4 and Group 5. Vanadium lies between titanium and chromium in Period 4 and heads Group 5. The [Ar] 3d³4s² reference configuration provides several accessible d-electron oxidation states.
Key point: V is element 23; its periodic position and electron structure explain the rest of the page.
Is vanadium a metal?
Short answer: Yes. It is a transition metal.
This guide classifies Vanadium as a transition metal. Its periodic position is Period 4, d-block, Group 5. Vanadium lies between titanium and chromium in Period 4 and heads Group 5. The [Ar] 3d³4s² reference configuration provides several accessible d-electron oxidation states.
Key point: Periodic-table classification describes recurring atomic/chemical behavior; it does not make every element in a column physically identical.
What is the symbol for vanadium?
Short answer: V.
The symbol V is the standardized chemical abbreviation for element 23. In a chemical formula, V identifies vanadium atoms; a compound containing V is not automatically the same material as elemental vanadium.
Key point: V always identifies element 23.
What is vanadium used for?
Short answer: Major roles include alloy steels, titanium alloys, catalysts and vanadium redox-flow batteries.
High-strength steel: Vanadium microalloying supports strength and toughness in selected steels. Titanium alloys: Vanadium is used in important aerospace and engineering titanium alloys. Vanadium is not defined by a single “valence.” Its transition-metal chemistry uses several oxidation states, commonly +2 through +5, which is why vanadium compounds show such varied colors and redox behavior.
Key point: Always distinguish the pure element from the compound, alloy, isotope or device material that actually performs the application.
Where is vanadium found?
Short answer: It occurs in several mineral and industrial feedstocks rather than as abundant native metal.
Vanadium is obtained from several resource types, including vanadiferous titanomagnetite, slags and other mineral or petroleum-related streams. Industrial refining converts vanadium into metal-alloy feedstocks or chemical compounds.
Key point: Natural occurrence, resources, production and recycling are different geography questions.
What is vanadium’s electron configuration?
Short answer: [Ar] 3d³ 4s².
The neutral-atom ground-state reference used on this page is [Ar] 3d³ 4s². 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 +5, +4, +3, +2, 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.
How many valence electrons does vanadium have?
Short answer: For transition metals the answer depends on context; the 3d and 4s electrons can participate, so a single main-group-style count can be misleading.
The neutral-atom ground-state reference used on this page is [Ar] 3d³ 4s². 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 +5, +4, +3, +2, 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.
Scientific sources for Vanadium
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