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Zirconium, atomic structure
Zirconium (Zr). Diagram of the nuclear composition, electron configuration, chemical data, and valence orbitals of an atom of zirconium-91 (atomic number: 40), an isotope of this element. The nucleus consists of 40 protons (red) and 51 neutrons (orange). 40 electrons (white) successively occupy available electron shells (rings). Zirconium is a transition metal in group 4, period 5, and the d-block of the periodic table. It has a melting point of 1855 degrees Celsius. The trends across the transition metals are due to electrons filling an inner d-subshell (here, within the 4th ring), shielding the outer (valence) electrons from the increasing nuclear charge.
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