Calcium

Metal

Symbol: Ca
Atomic number: 20
Atomic mass: 40.078
Group: Alkali Earth Metal
CAS-number: 7440-70-2

Navigation
Mg

K				Sc

Sr

Go to element

⬇

Physical data

Electronic data

Shells: 2, 8, 8, 2
Orbitals: [Ar] 4s²
Electronegativity: 1.0, 1.0
1. Ionization potential: 6.1132 eV
2. Ionization potential: 11.871 eV
3. Ionization potential: 50.908 eV
Oxidation states: 2
Electrical conductivity: 0.298 10^6

Thermal data

Melting point: 839 °C
Boiling point: 1484 °C
Specific heat: 0.63 J/gK
Heat of fusion: 8.540 kJ/mol
Heat of vaporization: 153.60 kJ/mol
Thermal conductivity: 2.00 W/cmK

Steric data

Atomic radius: 2.23 Å
Ionic radius: 1.00 Å (+2)
Covalent radius: 1.74 Å
Atomic volume: 25.9 cm³/mol
Density (293 K): 1.55 g/cm³
Crystal structure: cubic face centered

⬆⬇

Isotopes

Nuclide	Abundance [%]	Mass	Spin	Halflife	Decay mode	Decay tree
⁴⁰Ca	96.97	39.9626	0	--	--
⁴¹Ca	0	41	7/2	1.03E05y	EC	View
⁴²Ca	0.64	41.9586	0	--	--
⁴³Ca	0.145	42.9588	7/2	--	--
⁴⁴Ca	2.06	43.9555	0	--	--
⁴⁵Ca	0	44.956	7/2	162.7d	β-	View
⁴⁶Ca	0.0033	45.9537	0	--	--
⁴⁷Ca	0	46.954	7/2	4.536d	β-	View
⁴⁸Ca	0.18	47.9525	0	--	--
⁴⁹Ca	0	49	3/2	8.72m	β-	View

⬆⬇

Other info

Name origin:	Latin: calx, calcis (lime)
Description:	Fairly hard, silvery-white metal. Fifth most abundant element in the earth's crust (41,500 ppm). Occurs only in compounds.
Discovered by:	Sir Humphrey Davy
Year:	1808
Place:	England
Sources:	Obtained from minerals like chalk, limestone & marble. Pure metal is produced by replacing the calcium in lime (calcium carbonate, CaCO₃) with aluminium in hot, low pressure retorts.
Use(s):	Used by many forms of life to make shells and bones. Virtually no use for the pure metal, however two of its compounds are, lime (CaO) and gypsum (CaSO₄), are in great demand by a number of industries.

⬆