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Understanding the element
Gallium (Ga) is chemical element 31. It belongs to the post-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 semiconductors, LEDs and measurement instruments.
semiconductorsLEDsmeasurement instruments
Standard atomic weight69.723(1)
What its position in the table tells us
Gallium sits in period 4, group 13 and the P block. That location is useful because neighbouring elements often share trends in valence electrons, oxidation states and bonding behaviour.
Worth remembering
Gallium has a characteristic place in the periodic table that helps explain both its chemistry and its practical uses
Gallium has a characteristic place in the periodic table that helps explain both its chemistry and its practical uses