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Understanding the element
Niobium (Nb) is chemical element 41. 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 superconducting magnets, metallurgy and steel and jewellery.
superconducting magnetsmetallurgy and steeljewellery
Standard atomic weight92.90637(1)
What its position in the table tells us
Niobium sits in period 5, group 5 and the D block. That location is useful because neighbouring elements often share trends in valence electrons, oxidation states and bonding behaviour.
Worth remembering
Niobium has a characteristic place in the periodic table that helps explain both its chemistry and its practical uses
Niobium has a characteristic place in the periodic table that helps explain both its chemistry and its practical uses