Niobium is element number 41, a metal with the symbol Nb. Its name comes from Niobe, the daughter of King Tantalus in Greek myth.
Atomic number 4192.91
NbNiobiumニオブ (niobu)
Symbol
Nb
Atomic weight
92.91
Place in the table
Period 5 · Group 5
Atomic weight from the Chemical Society of Japan, “Table of Standard Atomic Weights with Four Significant Figures (2026)”.
A parent and child
Niobium was discovered in 1801. Tantalum (Ta), found the same year, is named after Niobe’s father, King Tantalus. Niobium and tantalum are in the same group, Group 5, so parent and child line up vertically on the periodic table.
In America it was also called “columbium,” after an ore from America.
Where it sits on the table
Niobium is in the fifth row of Group 5, with vanadium above and tantalum below. Vanadium’s name also comes from Norse myth.
Think about it
Q1Why do you think two similar elements were given the names of a parent and child?
Q2What problems could it cause if one element had two names?
Q3All three Group 5 names come from myths. Look for name links in other columns.
There is no single right answer. Talking it over with someone at home is a good way to learn.
Did you know? — Group 5, vanadium (a Norse god of beauty), niobium (Niobe) and tantalum (King Tantalus), is a column named entirely after myths.