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Understanding the element
Cadmium (Cd) is chemical element 48. It belongs to the transition 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 batteries, pigments and metal plating.
batteriespigmentsmetal plating
Standard atomic weight112.414(4)
What its position in the table tells us
Cadmium sits in period 5, group 12 and the D block. That location is useful because neighbouring elements often share trends in valence electrons, oxidation states and bonding behaviour.
Worth remembering
Cadmium has a characteristic place in the periodic table that helps explain both its chemistry and its practical uses
Cadmium has a characteristic place in the periodic table that helps explain both its chemistry and its practical uses