🔹 Basic Information

• Element Name: Gallium
• Discovered By: Paul-Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran
• Year of Discovery: 1875
• Category: Post-Transition Metal
• Group: 13 (Group IIIA – Boron Group)
• State at Room Temperature: Solid (but melts just above room temperature!) 🌡️💧

Gallium is a soft, silvery metal that is famous for melting in your hand! It’s a rare, fascinating element used in electronics and semiconductors.

🔸 Chemical Properties

• Chemical Symbol: Ga
• Atomic Number: 31
• Atomic Mass: ~69.72 u
• Valency: 3
• Electronic Configuration: [Ar] 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p¹

Gallium is not very reactive, but it slowly oxidizes in air. It forms compounds with fluorine, chlorine, and other nonmetals, mostly in the +3 oxidation state.

📘 Basic Things to Know

Gallium is solid at room temperature but melts at just 29.76°C (85.6°F) — so it can melt in your palm on a warm day! 🤲💧

It was named after “Gallia,” the Latin name for France 🇫🇷 — and also a play on the discoverer’s own name (“Lecoq” means “the rooster” in French, and the Latin for rooster is gallus).

🤔 Interesting Facts

• Gallium can melt in your hand but doesn’t boil until 2200°C — that’s a huge liquid range! 🔥
• It expands when it freezes, like water — which can break containers if not handled properly. ❄️💥
• It was predicted by Dmitri Mendeleev before it was discovered, as “eka-aluminum.”
• Gallium sticks to glass and skin, making it hard to handle without tools.
• Unlike mercury, gallium is not toxic and is safe to handle (but not eat!). 😄

🔧 Common Uses

• Electronics: Used in semiconductors and transistors, especially gallium arsenide (GaAs). ⚡📱
• LEDs & Solar Panels: Found in light-emitting diodes and solar cells. ☀️💡
• Thermometers: Used in some high-temperature thermometers instead of mercury. 🌡️
• Mirrors: Gallium alloys are used in shiny, reflective coatings. 🪞
• Medical Imaging & Research: Radioactive gallium is used in cancer scans and studies. 🏥

📚 Conclusion

Gallium is a truly unique element — it melts in your hand, shines in electronics, and even plays a role in medical technology. For students, gallium is a perfect example of how surprising and useful chemistry can be. It’s not just cool — it’s scientifically powerful! 💧🔬