Transition metalElement 23 · d-block

Vanadium (V)

Vanadium (V) is a transition metal with atomic number 23 and a standard atomic weight of 50.942. At room temperature it is a solid that melts at 1,910 °C and boils at 3,407 °C.

23VVanadium50.942

Atomic number

protons

Atomic weight

50.942

CIAAW 2024

Melting point

1,910 °C

2,183.15 K

Boiling point

3,407 °C

3,680.15 K

Density

6 g/cm³

near room temperature

Electronegativity

1.63

Pauling scale

State at 25 °C

Solid

Discovered

1801 / 1830

Mexico / Sweden

Vanadium at a glance

Identity

Symbol	V
Atomic number (Z)	23
Atomic weight	50.942 ± 0.001 (CIAAW 2024)
Category	Transition metal
Group	5
Period	4
Block	d-block
CAS number	7440-62-2

Atomic properties

Electron configuration	[Ar] 3d³ 4s² Full: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d³ 4s²
Electrons per shell	2, 8, 11, 2
Oxidation states	+5 Less common: -3, -1, 0, +1, +2, +3, +4
Electronegativity (Pauling)	1.63
First ionisation energy	6.746 eV (650.9 kJ/mol) 2nd: 14.634 eV · 3rd: 29.311 eV
Electron affinity	0.525 eV
Atomic radius (empirical)	135 pm
Covalent radius	134 pm
Van der Waals radius	207 pm

Physical properties

State at 25 °C	Solid
Melting point	1,910 °C · 3,470 °F · 2,183.15 K
Boiling point	3,407 °C · 6,164.6 °F · 3,680.15 K
Density	6 g/cm³
Specific heat capacity	0.489 J/(g·K)
Thermal conductivity	30.7 W/(m·K)
Crystal structure	Body-centred cubic

Isotopes & abundance

Natural occurrence	Primordial
Radioactive	No
Natural isotopes (abundance)	⁵¹V 99.75%, ⁵⁰V 0.25% (radioactive)
Stable isotopes	5
Known isotopes	29
Abundance in Earth's crust	120 mg/kg
Abundance in seawater	0.0025 mg/L

Atomic weights: CIAAW Abridged Standard Atomic Weights 2024. Other properties: standard reference compilations, checked October 2026; predicted values are marked.

Vanadium electron configuration

Vanadium has 23 electrons. Written in short form, its ground-state configuration is [Ar] 3d³ 4s² — the electrons of the noble gas argon, plus 3d³ 4s².Written out in full: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d³ 4s².

3d↑↑↑

4s↑↓

Discovery and name

Discovered

1801 / 1830 — Andrés Manuel del Río; rediscovered by Nils Gabriel Sefström · Mexico / Sweden.

Name

Vanadís, a name of the Norse goddess Freyja — for its colourful compounds.

Known for

Added to steel for strength and toughness (tools, springs). Vanadium redox flow batteries store energy for electricity grids.

Isotopes of vanadium

Naturally occurring vanadium is a mix of 2 isotopes. Each has 23 protons; they differ in the number of neutrons:

Isotope	Protons	Neutrons	Natural abundance	Stability
⁵¹V	23	28	99.75%	stable
⁵⁰V	23	27	0.25%	radioactive · half-life 271 × 10¹⁵ years

29 isotopes of vanadium are known in our data set (half-lives as published in nuclear data tables).

Vanadium compared with group 5

The other elements in group 5, from top to bottom of the table:

Element	Z	Atomic weight	Melting point	Boiling point	Density	Electronegativity
Vanadium	23	50.942	1,910 °C	3,407 °C	6 g/cm³	1.63
Niobium	41	92.906	2,477 °C	4,741 °C	8.57 g/cm³	1.6
Tantalum	73	180.95	3,017 °C	5,455 °C	16.4 g/cm³	1.5
Dubnium	105	[268]	—	—	29.3 g/cm³ (pred.)	—

Frequently asked questions

6 answers

What is the atomic mass of vanadium?

The standard atomic weight of vanadium is 50.942 ± 0.001 (CIAAW 2024), so one mole weighs about 50.942 grams.

How many protons, neutrons and electrons does vanadium have?

A neutral vanadium atom has 23 protons and 23 electrons. Its most common isotope, vanadium-51, has 28 neutrons.

What is the electron configuration of vanadium?

[Ar] 3d³ 4s² (in full: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d³ 4s²).

What are the melting and boiling points of vanadium?

Vanadium melts at 1,910 °C (3,470 °F) and boils at 3,407 °C (6,164.6 °F).

Is vanadium a metal?

Vanadium is a metal. It is in group 5, period 4, and is a solid at room temperature.

Who discovered vanadium?

1801 / 1830 — Andrés Manuel del Río; rediscovered by Nils Gabriel Sefström (Mexico / Sweden).