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Understanding the element
Barium (Ba) is chemical element 56. It belongs to the alkaline-earth metals, and its reference state at room temperature is a solid. Those basic facts are a useful starting point for its chemistry and applications.
Where do we encounter it?
In practice, it turns up most often in medical imaging equipment, drilling fluids and fireworks.
medical imaging equipmentdrilling fluidsfireworks
Standard atomic weight137.327(7)
What its position in the table tells us
Barium sits in period 6, group 2 and the S block. That location is useful because neighbouring elements often share trends in valence electrons, oxidation states and bonding behaviour.
Worth remembering
Barium has a characteristic place in the periodic table that helps explain both its chemistry and its practical uses
Barium has a characteristic place in the periodic table that helps explain both its chemistry and its practical uses