Naming History: The Name Niobium comes from Niobe, the daughter of a mythical Greek king named Tantalus.

Atomic Number: 41

Atomic Mass: 92.90

Group: 5b

Period: 5

Uses: Niobium is used in arc-welding rods for stabilized grades of stainless steel. Niobium is also used for various pieces of jewelry.

Room Temperature Description: When set in room temperature for a long time, the metal will start to oxidize in air at 200 degrees Celsius (Rust)

Family Name: Transition Metal

Transition Description: Transition Metals are ductile, malleable. Transition Metals are able to conduct electricity.

Physical Description: A shiny, white, and soft ductile metal. It starts to oxidize in air at 200 degrees Celsius and when placed in more moderate temperatures it must be placed in a protective atmosphere

Discovery History: The first governor of Connecticut, John Withrop discovered in 1734, a metal he called Columbite. After discovering it, he sent it to a British Museum and it sat in its collection for many years. In 1801, the sample was again analyzed by a man named Charles Hatchett. Charles knew there was an element inside the Columbite but could not isolate it. He named the element Columbium. Later on, they found that columbium was similar to Tantalum. They renamed this element Niobium.

Found: Niobium is usually found in Columbite and pyrochlore.

Electron Configuration: [Kr]5s14d4

It's elementary

Isolation: Niobium minerals contain both niobium and tantalum. Since they are so similar chemically, it is difficult to separate them. Niobium can be extracted from the ores by first fusing the ore with alkali, and then extracting the resultant mixture into hydrofluoric acid.