Ba
Barium Symbol (Ba)
Barium is element 56 of the periodic table. Copy its symbol Ba and see its atomic weight, electron configuration and common compounds.
What does Ba mean?
Ba is the chemical symbol for barium, element number 56 in the periodic table. Barium is an alkaline earth metal in group 2, period 6. It is an alkaline earth metal; barium sulfate is the "barium meal" used for X-ray imaging of the gut.
Codes and properties
| Chemical symbol | Ba |
|---|---|
| Atomic number (Z) | 56 |
| Atomic weight (PubChem) | 137.33 |
| Group / period | 2 / 6 |
| Element category | alkaline earth metal |
| Electron configuration | [Xe]6s² |
| State at 20 °C | Solid |
| Oxidation states | +2 |
| Electronegativity (Pauling) | 0.89 |
| Melting point | 1000 K (726.85 °C) |
| Boiling point | 2170 K (1896.85 °C) |
| Density | 3.62 g/cm³ |
| Discovered | 1808 |
| Common compounds | BaSO₄, BaCl₂ |
How to type Ba
- Plain text: type
Ba— element symbols are ordinary Latin letters, with the first letter capitalised and the second lowercase. - Subscripts in formulas: use Unicode subscript digits (₀₁₂₃₄₅₆₇₈₉) for formulas such as BaSO₄ — copy them from the chemistry keyboard.
- LaTeX: write
\mathrm{Ba}in math mode, or use the mhchem package:\ce{Ba}. - HTML:
Ba; for subscripts use<sub>, e.g.H<sub>2</sub>O.
Frequently asked questions
What is the chemical symbol for barium?
The chemical symbol for barium is Ba.
What is the atomic number of barium?
Barium has atomic number 56, meaning each atom has 56 protons.
What is the electron configuration of barium?
The ground-state electron configuration of barium is [Xe]6s².
Related symbols
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Reference: Barium on PubChem (NIH)