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Germanium

Element 32 · Metalloid

Specimen

Atomic number
32
Atomic mass
72.63
State at room temperature
Solid
Melting point
938.3 °C
Boiling point
2,833 °C
Density
5.323 g/cm³
Discovered
1886

Atomic mass from IUPAC.1 Other physical data from PubChem.2

Can I eat it?

In food and water
Harmful. Germanium is not an essential element. The US FDA reports kidney injury and deaths from long-term use of germanium supplements, even at the doses on the label. The FDA can stop imports of these supplements. 3

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The atom

Ge
ShellElectrons
1 (K) 2
2 (L) 8
3 (M) 18
4 (N) outermost 4
Total32

Configuration [Ar] 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p²

3d ↑ ↓ ↑ ↓ ↑ ↓ ↑ ↓ ↑ ↓
4s ↑ ↓
4p ↑ ↑
A shell diagram: each ring is an electron shell and each dot is one electron. The nucleus holds 32 protons. The outermost shell is shown in red. Electrons do not travel on rings: they fill orbitals, regions where an electron is likely to be found. The boxes are those orbitals for the electrons outside the Ar core, with one arrow per electron.

Related elements

Group 14
C Carbon Si Silicon Sn Tin Pb Lead Fl Flerovium

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Sources

  1. 1

    IUPAC Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights (CIAAW), 2024. Abridged Standard Atomic Weights 2024 .

    The atomic mass shown for the 84 elements that have a standard atomic weight.

  2. 2

    National Center for Biotechnology Information (PubChem), 2026. Periodic Table of Elements .

    Electron configuration, melting and boiling points, density and discovery year for all 118 elements.

  3. 3

    U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2023. Import Alert 54-07: Detention Without Physical Examination of Germanium Supplements for Human Consumption .

    • Germanium is a nonessential trace element that has caused nephrotoxicity (kidney injury) and death when used chronically by humans, even at recommended levels of use.
    • Divisions may detain without physical examination, all Germanium products offered for entry
  4. 4

    National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 2026. Atomic Weights and Isotopic Compositions for All Elements .

    Isotopic composition of each element; the most abundant isotope sets the neutron count in the nucleus view.