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

Physical data from PubChem.¹

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. ²

The atom

Shell	Electrons
1 (K)	2
2 (L)	8
3 (M)	18
4 (N) outermost	4
Total	32

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

Sources

1

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

Atomic mass, electron configuration, melting and boiling points, density and discovery year for all 118 elements.
2
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

Specimen

Can I eat it?

The atom

Related elements

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Sources