Bismuth is element number 83, a metal with the symbol Bi. Its name comes from the German for “white mass.”
Atomic number 83209.0
BiBismuthビスマス (bisumasu)
Symbol
Bi
Atomic weight
209.0
Place in the table
Period 6 · Group 15
Atomic weight from the Chemical Society of Japan, “Table of Standard Atomic Weights with Four Significant Figures (2026)”.
“White mass”
Bismuth has been known since the Middle Ages. Its name comes from the German Wismut and weiße Masse (white mass).
A starting point for nihonium
A RIKEN team made element 113, nihonium, by firing zinc (atomic number 30), sped up to one-tenth of the speed of light, at bismuth (atomic number 83). 83 + 30 = 113.
Bismuth is in the sixth row of Group 15, with antimony above and arsenic above that.
Think about it
Q1Why do you think bismuth was chosen as the target?
Q2What do you think of an element known since the Middle Ages being used in cutting-edge research?
Q3Can you name the Group 15 elements from the top?
There is no single right answer. Talking it over with someone at home is a good way to learn.
Did you know? — Arsenic, antimony and bismuth in Group 15 have all been known since the Middle Ages.