Element 44 · Ruthenium (Ru)
Ruthenium Bohr model: diagram and electrons per shell
The ruthenium Bohr model shows a ruthenium atom (Ru) as a small nucleus with its electrons circling it in 5 shells: 2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 15 in shell N and 1 in shell O. This page has a rotating 3D ruthenium Bohr model, a flat diagram, a table of the electrons in each shell and the steps to draw it yourself.
Rotate the ruthenium Bohr model in 3D
Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom.
This is a Bohr model of ruthenium (Ru), a simplified picture of a single ruthenium atom. Its nucleus holds 44 protons, and a neutral ruthenium atom has 44 electrons, arranged around it in 5 shells (2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 15 in shell N and 1 in shell O).
Ruthenium Bohr model diagram
Ruthenium electrons per shell
A neutral ruthenium atom has 44 electrons, one for each of its 44 protons. They fill the shells from the nucleus outwards: 2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 15 in shell N and 1 in shell O.
| Shell | Shell number (n) | Electrons | Most it can hold (2n²) | Subshells |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| K | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1s2 |
| L | 2 | 8 | 8 | 2s2 2p6 |
| M | 3 | 18 | 18 | 3s2 3p6 3d10 |
| N | 4 | 15 | 32 | 4s2 4p6 4d7 |
| O | 5 | 1 | 50 | 5s1 |
How the ruthenium Bohr model builds up, shell by shell
Watch the ruthenium Bohr model come together: the nucleus first, then each shell in turn, from the innermost outwards, with its electrons joining the ring. The legend names every shell and counts its electrons, so you can read off the arrangement (2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 15 in shell N and 1 in shell O) as it forms.
How to draw the ruthenium Bohr model
- Find the atomic number. Ruthenium has atomic number 44, so a neutral atom has 44 protons and 44 electrons.
- Draw the nucleus. Put a circle in the centre and write Ru in it. The 44 protons sit there with the neutrons.
- Draw the shells. Sketch 5 shells as rings around the nucleus. A shell holds at most 2n² electrons: 2 in the first, 8 in the second, 18 in the third and 32 in the fourth.
- Place the electrons. Fill from the inside out: 2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 15 in shell N and 1 in shell O.
- Check the total. 2 + 8 + 18 + 15 + 1 = 44, the atomic number, so every electron is accounted for.
Atomic data for the ruthenium Bohr model
The numbers behind the ruthenium Bohr model, grouped by topic. Radii are in picometres (pm) and energies in kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol).
Identity
- Symbol
- Ru
- Atomic number
- 44
- Atomic mass
- 101.072 u
- Family
- Transition Metals
- Position
- group 8, period 5
- Block
- d-block
Electron configuration
- Full
- 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10 4p6 5s1 4d7
- Shorthand
- [Kr] 4d7 5s1
- Electrons per shell
- 2, 8, 18, 15, 1
- Outer-shell electrons
- 1 in shell O
Ionisation energies
- I₁
- 710.2
- I₂
- 1620
- I₃
- 2747
Energy to remove each electron in turn (kJ/mol). A sharp jump means the next electron comes from an inner shell.
Atomic radii
- Calculated (pm)
- 178
- Empirical (pm)
- 130
- Covalent (pm)
- 125
Electronegativity and electron affinity
- Electronegativity (Pauling)
- 2.2
- Electron affinity (kJ/mol)
- 100.96
Oxidation states
+3 +4
Charges the element commonly takes in compounds.
Physical properties, abundance and history of ruthenium
Bulk properties of ruthenium, how common it is, who discovered it and some of its compounds.
Physical properties
- Phase at room conditions
- Solid
- Appearance
- Silvery white metallic
- Melting point
- 2333.85°C (2607 K)
- Boiling point
- 4149.85°C (4423 K)
- Density
- 12.45 g/cm³
- Thermal conductivity (W/m·K)
- 117
- Specific heat (J/g·K)
- 0.238
- Molar heat capacity (J/mol·K)
- 24.06
- Heat of fusion (kJ/mol)
- 25.5
Abundance
- Earth's crust (mg/kg)
- 0.001
- Oceans (mg/L)
- 0
Discovery
- Discovered by
- Karl Ernst Claus
- Year
- 1844
Common compounds
- Ruthenium Ru
- Ruthenium trichloride Cl3Ru
- Ruthenium tetroxide O4Ru
- Dichlorotetrakis(dimethyl sulfoxide)ruthenium II C8H24Cl2O4RuS4
- Ruthenium dioxide O2Ru
- Ruthenocene C10H10Ru
- It-139 C14H12Cl4N4NaRu
- Dipotassium pentachloronitrosylruthenate Cl5K2NORu
Compounds listed in the PubChem database.
Main isotopes of ruthenium
Isotopes of ruthenium share the same 44 protons but differ in neutrons. Natural isotopes come first, then the longest-lived others.
| Mass number | Natural abundance | Half-life | Decay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 96 | 5.54 % | stable | 2β⁺ |
| 99 | 12.76 % | stable | – |
| 100 | 12.6 % | stable | – |
| 101 | 17.06 % | stable | – |
| 102 | 31.55 % | stable | – |
| 104 | 18.62 % | stable | 2β⁻ |
α = alpha decay, β⁻ = beta-minus, β⁺ = beta-plus, EC = electron capture, SF = spontaneous fission, p / n = proton / neutron emission.
More about ruthenium
- Ruthenium on the periodic table – properties, isotopes, uses and the full ruthenium page.
- Transition Metals – all transition metal elements and their trends.
- Bohr model of every element – the Bohr model of all 118 elements.