Definition

Noun A soft, silvery-white metallic chemical element belonging to the alkaline earth metal group. It is found in nature primarily in the mineral barite (barium sulfate).

Usage

This term is the formal scientific name for the element barium. It is used primarily in technical, scientific, and educational contexts to specify the element by its defining property: the number of protons in its atomic nucleus (56).

Examples

• In the periodic table, atomic number 56 is positioned between cesium (55) and lanthanum (57).
• The chemist identified the unknown compound as containing atomic number 56.
• Atomic number 56 is used in certain types of medical imaging scans.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used to avoid ambiguity, as the common name "barium" can refer to the element itself or its compounds (e.g., barium sulfate). "Atomic number 56" unambiguously specifies the elemental form.
• It is standard in nuclear chemistry and physics when discussing isotopes, as all isotopes of this element share the same atomic number.

Variants and Related Words

• Barium (Ba): The common name and chemical symbol for the element with atomic number 56.
• Alkaline earth metal: The group of elements in the periodic table to which atomic number 56 belongs.

Synonyms

• Barium
• Ba (chemical symbol)

Related Phrases and Compounds

• Barium meal: A suspension of barium sulfate ingested by a patient for X-ray imaging of the digestive tract.
• Barium enema: A similar procedure for imaging the lower intestine.
• Barite (or baryte): The principal ore of barium, composed of barium sulfate (BaSO₄).

Noun

1. a soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group; found in barite