Periodic Table of Elements & Their Colours

All 118 elements, three ways: grouped by family, as the pure element looks, and by the light and colours it makes. Select an element for its colours, sources and links into the colour tools.

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Family State at 20 °C Show

Family colours are interface colours that group the table. They are not the colours of the elements: switch to “What it looks like”.

Alkali metals
Alkaline earth metals
Transition metals
Post-transition metals
Metalloids
Reactive nonmetals
Halogens
Noble gases
Lanthanoids
Actinoids
Chemistry not yet measured

All 118 elements as a list

Element	Family	State	What it looks like	Light and colours it makes
1 H Hydrogen	Reactive nonmetals	Gas	Colourless, odourless gas.	A hydrogen discharge tube glows pink-magenta: the red Hα line plus blue-violet Balmer lines. Lines: 656.3 nm, 486.1 nm, 434 nm, 410.2 nm
2 He Helium	Noble gases	Gas	Colourless gas.	A helium discharge glows peach to pinkish-orange; its yellow 587.6 nm line was first seen in the Sun. Lines: 587.6 nm, 667.8 nm, 501.6 nm, 447.1 nm
3 Li Lithium	Alkali metals	Solid	`#D6D7D9` Soft, silvery-white metal; tarnishes quickly in air.	Lithium compounds colour a flame crimson red. Lines: 670.8 nm
4 Be Beryllium	Alkaline earth metals	Solid	`#A3A7AB` Hard, steel-grey metal.	—
5 B Boron	Metalloids	Solid	`#3A302B` Black to dark brown solid (amorphous boron is brown, crystalline boron black and lustrous).	Boron compounds give a bright green flame (light from BO₂ molecules, not single atomic lines).
6 C Carbon	Reactive nonmetals	Solid	`#2B2B2B` Graphite: black, soft and shiny. Diamond, another form of pure carbon, is colourless.	The blue-green inner cone of a gas flame is partly light from C₂ molecules (Swan bands). Carbon black (C) — pigment
7 N Nitrogen	Reactive nonmetals	Gas	Colourless gas.	Nitrogen molecules and ions give the pink-violet and blue edges of auroras and a pink-purple glow in discharge tubes. Gallium nitride LED (GaN / InGaN) — led
8 O Oxygen	Reactive nonmetals	Gas	Colourless gas; liquid oxygen is pale blue.	Oxygen atoms high in the atmosphere give the green (557.7 nm) and red (630.0 nm) light of auroras. Lines: 557.7 nm, 630 nm
9 F Fluorine	Halogens	Gas	`#EEEFB4` Very pale yellow gas (the colour shows only in thick layers).	—
10 Ne Neon	Noble gases	Gas	Colourless gas (its famous red-orange is light from an electric discharge, shown under Light).	Neon signs: a neon discharge glows red-orange. Lines: 640.2 nm, 585.2 nm
11 Na Sodium	Alkali metals	Solid	`#D5D6D8` Soft, silvery-white metal that tarnishes at once in air.	Sodium gives a strong yellow-orange flame and the yellow light of low-pressure street lamps (the sodium D lines). Lines: 589 nm, 589.6 nm Ultramarine (Na₈₋₁₀Al₆Si₆O₂₄S₂₋₄) — pigment
12 Mg Magnesium	Alkaline earth metals	Solid	`#D0D2D4` Silvery-white metal.	Burning magnesium gives a dazzling white light (used in flares and early photography flash). Lines: 518.4 nm
13 Al Aluminium	Post-transition metals	Solid	`#C6C9CC` Silvery, light metal.	Cobalt blue (CoAl₂O₄) — pigment AlGaInP red LED (AlGaInP) — led
14 Si Silicon	Metalloids	Solid	`#737B85` Hard, dark grey solid with a blue-grey metallic lustre.	Egyptian blue (CaCuSi₄O₁₀) — pigment
15 P Phosphorus	Reactive nonmetals	Solid	`#F1EEDA` White phosphorus is a waxy white-to-yellowish solid; red and black phosphorus are other forms.	Gallium phosphide LED (GaP) — led
16 S Sulfur	Reactive nonmetals	Solid	`#E7D44A` Bright yellow solid.	Ultramarine (Na₈₋₁₀Al₆Si₆O₂₄S₂₋₄) — pigment
17 Cl Chlorine	Halogens	Gas	`#CFE16C` Yellow-green gas.	—
18 Ar Argon	Noble gases	Gas	Colourless gas.	An argon discharge glows lavender to violet; argon-ion lasers emit blue-green light at 488.0 and 514.5 nm. Lines: 696.5 nm, 811.5 nm
19 K Potassium	Alkali metals	Solid	`#D3D4D6` Soft, silvery metal that tarnishes quickly.	Potassium compounds colour a flame lilac (its strongest lines are deep red and violet). Lines: 766.5 nm, 769.9 nm, 404.4 nm
20 Ca Calcium	Alkaline earth metals	Solid	`#D6D6D4` Silvery-white metal that dulls in air.	Calcium compounds colour a flame orange-red (mostly light from CaOH molecules). Lines: 422.7 nm Chalk (whiting) (CaCO₃) — pigment
21 Sc Scandium	Transition metals	Solid	`#D3D3D3` Silvery-white metal.	—
22 Ti Titanium	Transition metals	Solid	`#A8AAAE` Hard, lustrous silver-grey metal.	Titanium white (TiO₂) — pigment Nickel titanate yellow ((Ti,Ni,Sb)O₂) — pigment
23 V Vanadium	Transition metals	Solid	`#A6A9AE` Silvery-grey metal.	Bismuth vanadate yellow (BiVO₄) — pigment
24 Cr Chromium	Transition metals	Solid	`#A7ADB3` Hard, lustrous steel-grey metal.	Chromium oxide green (Cr₂O₃) — pigment Viridian (Cr₂O₃·2H₂O) — pigment Chrome yellow (PbCrO₄) — pigment
25 Mn Manganese	Transition metals	Solid	`#A8A6A3` Hard, brittle silvery-grey metal.	Manganese violet (NH₄MnP₂O₇) — pigment Raw umber (Fe₂O₃ + MnO₂ (earth)) — pigment
26 Fe Iron	Transition metals	Solid	`#8F9094` Lustrous grey metal; rusts red-brown in damp air.	Red iron oxide (Fe₂O₃) — pigment Yellow iron oxide (ochre) (FeO(OH)) — pigment Black iron oxide (Mars black) (Fe₃O₄) — pigment Prussian blue (Fe₄[Fe(CN)₆]₃) — pigment Rust (Fe₂O₃·nH₂O) — mineral
27 Co Cobalt	Transition metals	Solid	`#9BA2AB` Lustrous silvery metal with a faint blue tinge.	Cobalt blue (CoAl₂O₄) — pigment Cerulean blue (Co₂SnO₄) — pigment Cobalt violet (Co₃(PO₄)₂) — pigment Cobalt glass (Co²⁺ in glass) — glass
28 Ni Nickel	Transition metals	Solid	`#BDBAB0` Lustrous silvery metal with a slight golden tinge.	Nickel titanate yellow ((Ti,Ni,Sb)O₂) — pigment
29 Cu Copper	Transition metals	Solid	`#B87333` Reddish-orange metal, one of the few metals that are not silvery.	Copper compounds colour a flame blue-green (green for many copper salts, bluer with chlorides). Lines: 510.6 nm, 515.3 nm, 521.8 nm Malachite (Cu₂CO₃(OH)₂) — mineral Azurite (Cu₃(CO₃)₂(OH)₂) — mineral Verdigris (Cu(CH₃COO)₂ (basic)) — pigment Egyptian blue (CaCuSi₄O₁₀) — pigment Brass (Cu + Zn) — alloy Bronze (Cu + Sn) — alloy
30 Zn Zinc	Transition metals	Solid	`#AEB4BA` Bluish-silver metal.	Zinc has strong blue atomic lines used in spectroscopy lamps. Lines: 481.1 nm, 472.2 nm Zinc white (ZnO) — pigment Glow paint (zinc sulfide) (ZnS:Cu) — phosphor Brass (Cu + Zn) — alloy
31 Ga Gallium	Post-transition metals	Solid	`#B9BEC6` Soft, silvery-blue metal that melts just above room temperature (29.8 °C).	Gallium nitride blue LED (InGaN) — led Gallium phosphide green LED (GaP) — led
32 Ge Germanium	Metalloids	Solid	`#A3A5A6` Lustrous, greyish-white metalloid.	—
33 As Arsenic	Metalloids	Solid	`#707377` Grey arsenic, the stable form, is a brittle steel-grey solid.	Orpiment (As₂S₃) — mineral Scheele’s green (CuHAsO₃) — pigment
34 Se Selenium	Reactive nonmetals	Solid	`#5F6266` Grey selenium is a metallic-looking solid; red selenium is another form.	Cadmium red (Cd(S,Se)) — pigment Selenium ruby glass (CdSe in glass) — glass
35 Br Bromine	Halogens	Liquid	`#7A1F0A` Deep red-brown liquid that gives off a red-brown vapour.	—
36 Kr Krypton	Noble gases	Gas	Colourless gas.	A krypton discharge glows whitish-lavender. Lines: 557 nm, 587.1 nm
37 Rb Rubidium	Alkali metals	Solid	`#D3D2CF` Soft, silvery-white metal.	Rubidium colours a flame red-violet; its name means deep red, after its red spectral lines. Lines: 780 nm, 794.8 nm, 420.2 nm
38 Sr Strontium	Alkaline earth metals	Solid	`#D9D3C2` Silvery metal that quickly turns yellowish in air.	Strontium compounds give the bright red of fireworks and flares (mostly SrOH and SrCl molecules). Lines: 460.7 nm Glow-in-the-dark strontium aluminate (SrAl₂O₄:Eu,Dy) — phosphor
39 Y Yttrium	Transition metals	Solid	`#C9CBCE` Silvery metal.	Yttrium hosts (Y₂O₃, Y₃Al₅O₁₂) — phosphor
40 Zr Zirconium	Transition metals	Solid	`#BFC1C4` Hard, grey-white metal.	Praseodymium–zircon yellow ((Zr,Pr)SiO₄) — glaze
41 Nb Niobium	Transition metals	Solid	`#A2A5AA` Grey metal (anodised niobium shows bright interference colours).	—
42 Mo Molybdenum	Transition metals	Solid	`#A9ACB0` Silvery-grey metal.	Molybdate orange (Pb(Cr,Mo,S)O₄) — pigment
43 Tc Technetium	Transition metals	Solid	`#A3A6AA` Silvery-grey metal; radioactive, with no stable isotope.	—
44 Ru Ruthenium	Transition metals	Solid	`#C8CACC` Hard, silvery-white metal.	—
45 Rh Rhodium	Transition metals	Solid	`#CDCFD1` Hard, silvery-white metal.	—
46 Pd Palladium	Transition metals	Solid	`#C9CBCD` Silvery-white metal.	—
47 Ag Silver	Transition metals	Solid	`#D7D9DC` Lustrous silver-white metal, the best reflector of visible light.	—
48 Cd Cadmium	Transition metals	Solid	`#B3B8BE` Soft, bluish-white metal.	Cadmium has a strong red line at 643.8 nm, once used as a length standard. Lines: 643.8 nm, 508.6 nm, 480 nm Cadmium yellow (CdS) — pigment Cadmium orange (Cd(S,Se)) — pigment Cadmium red (Cd(S,Se)) — pigment
49 In Indium	Post-transition metals	Solid	`#C9CBCE` Very soft, silvery-white metal.	Indium colours a flame blue-violet; it is named after its indigo line. Lines: 451.1 nm Indium gallium nitride LED (InGaN) — led
50 Sn Tin	Post-transition metals	Solid	`#C7C9CB` Silvery-white metal (grey tin, below 13 °C, is a dull grey powder).	Cerulean blue (Co₂SnO₄) — pigment Bronze (Cu + Sn) — alloy
51 Sb Antimony	Metalloids	Solid	`#A6A8AC` Brittle, lustrous silvery-grey metalloid.	Naples yellow (Pb₂Sb₂O₇) — pigment Antimony white (Sb₂O₃) — pigment
52 Te Tellurium	Metalloids	Solid	`#B1B3B5` Brittle, silvery-white metalloid with a metallic lustre.	—
53 I Iodine	Halogens	Solid	`#2E2433` Lustrous violet-black solid; its vapour is violet.	—
54 Xe Xenon	Noble gases	Gas	Colourless gas.	A xenon discharge glows blue-lavender; xenon arc lamps and camera flashes give near-daylight white. Lines: 467.1 nm, 462.4 nm
55 Cs Caesium	Alkali metals	Solid	`#E1C985` Soft, pale gold metal, the only gold-coloured metal besides gold (and copper is reddish).	Caesium colours a flame blue-violet; its name means sky blue, after its two blue lines. Lines: 455.5 nm, 459.3 nm
56 Ba Barium	Alkaline earth metals	Solid	`#BDBDBB` Soft, silvery metal that dulls in air.	Barium compounds give the green of fireworks (mostly BaOH and BaCl molecules). Lines: 553.5 nm Blanc fixe (BaSO₄) — pigment
57 La Lanthanum	Lanthanoids	Solid	`#C9CBCE` Silvery metal.	—
58 Ce Cerium	Lanthanoids	Solid	`#A9A9A9` Iron-grey metal.	Cerium-doped YAG is the yellow phosphor that turns a blue LED chip into white light. Ce:YAG phosphor (Y₃Al₅O₁₂:Ce) — phosphor
59 Pr Praseodymium	Lanthanoids	Solid	`#C9CBCE` Silvery metal.	Praseodymium–zircon yellow ((Zr,Pr)SiO₄) — glaze
60 Nd Neodymium	Lanthanoids	Solid	`#C9CBCE` Silvery metal.	Neodymium glass (Nd³⁺ in glass) — glass
61 Pm Promethium	Lanthanoids	Solid	`#C9CBCE` Silvery metal.	—
62 Sm Samarium	Lanthanoids	Solid	`#C9CBCE` Silvery metal.	—
63 Eu Europium	Lanthanoids	Solid	`#CBC8BE` Silvery metal that oxidises quickly.	Europium ions make the red (and some blue) phosphors in screens, lamps and banknote security inks. Red europium phosphor (Y₂O₃:Eu) — phosphor
64 Gd Gadolinium	Lanthanoids	Solid	`#C9CBCE` Silvery metal.	—
65 Tb Terbium	Lanthanoids	Solid	`#C9CBCE` Silvery metal.	Terbium ions make bright green phosphors in fluorescent lamps and screens. Green terbium phosphor ((Ce,Tb)MgAl₁₁O₁₉) — phosphor
66 Dy Dysprosium	Lanthanoids	Solid	`#C9CBCE` Silvery metal.	—
67 Ho Holmium	Lanthanoids	Solid	`#C9CBCE` Silvery metal.	—
68 Er Erbium	Lanthanoids	Solid	`#C9CBCE` Silvery metal.	Erbium glass (Er³⁺ in glass) — glass
69 Tm Thulium	Lanthanoids	Solid	`#C9CBCE` Silvery metal.	—
70 Yb Ytterbium	Lanthanoids	Solid	`#CDCBC2` Silvery metal with a faint yellow tinge.	—
71 Lu Lutetium	Lanthanoids	Solid	`#C9CBCE` Silvery metal.	—
72 Hf Hafnium	Transition metals	Solid	`#A4A6A8` Lustrous, steel-grey metal.	—
73 Ta Tantalum	Transition metals	Solid	`#8F969F` Hard, grey-blue metal.	—
74 W Tungsten	Transition metals	Solid	`#9EA1A4` Greyish-white, lustrous metal.	Tungsten filaments glow warm white (about 2,700 K) in incandescent bulbs: thermal light, not a line.
75 Re Rhenium	Transition metals	Solid	`#B2B4B6` Silvery-grey metal.	—
76 Os Osmium	Transition metals	Solid	`#A3ACB8` Hard, lustrous metal with a bluish tinge; the densest element.	—
77 Ir Iridium	Transition metals	Solid	`#CFCCC4` Hard, silvery-white metal with a slight yellow cast.	—
78 Pt Platinum	Transition metals	Solid	`#D0CFCB` Greyish-white, lustrous metal.	—
79 Au Gold	Transition metals	Solid	`#D4AF37` Soft, yellow metal.	Rose gold (Au + Cu) — alloy Gold ruby glass (colloidal Au in glass) — glass Purple of Cassius (colloidal Au on SnO₂) — pigment
80 Hg Mercury	Transition metals	Liquid	`#BCC0C4` Silvery liquid metal.	Mercury vapour glows blue-violet; its lines power fluorescent lamps through their phosphors. Lines: 404.7 nm, 435.8 nm, 546.1 nm, 577 nm, 579.1 nm Vermilion (HgS) — pigment
81 Tl Thallium	Post-transition metals	Solid	`#A5A9AE` Soft, bluish-grey metal.	Thallium colours a flame bright green; its name means green shoot, after its green line. Lines: 535 nm
82 Pb Lead	Post-transition metals	Solid	`#7F8389` Bluish-white when freshly cut, quickly dulling to grey.	Lead white (2PbCO₃·Pb(OH)₂) — pigment Red lead (minium) (Pb₃O₄) — pigment
83 Bi Bismuth	Post-transition metals	Solid	`#C8B7BD` Brittle, silvery metal with a pinkish tinge; its thin oxide film gives rainbow colours.	Bismuth vanadate yellow (BiVO₄) — pigment Bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) — pigment
84 Po Polonium	Post-transition metals	Solid	`#B0B3B6` Silvery metal; intensely radioactive.	—
85 At Astatine	Halogens	Not known	Never seen in visible amounts; its appearance is not known.	—
86 Rn Radon	Noble gases	Gas	Colourless gas; radioactive.	—
87 Fr Francium	Alkali metals	Not known	Never seen in visible amounts; its appearance is not known.	—
88 Ra Radium	Alkaline earth metals	Solid	`#D5D5D2` Silvery-white metal that blackens in air; radioactive.	Radium compounds glow faintly blue from their own radioactivity (historic luminous paint is a hazard).
89 Ac Actinium	Actinoids	Solid	`#D2D3D5` Silvery-white metal that glows pale blue in the dark from its radioactivity.	Actinium glows pale blue in the dark from its radioactivity.
90 Th Thorium	Actinoids	Solid	`#BFBFBC` Silvery metal that tarnishes grey to black.	—
91 Pa Protactinium	Actinoids	Solid	`#BCBEC0` Silvery metal; radioactive.	—
92 U Uranium	Actinoids	Solid	`#9EA1A3` Silvery-grey metal; radioactive.	Uranium glass (UO₂²⁺ in glass) — glass
93 Np Neptunium	Actinoids	Solid	`#B8BABC` Silvery metal; radioactive.	—
94 Pu Plutonium	Actinoids	Solid	`#B9BAB4` Silvery-white metal that tarnishes yellowish; radioactive.	—
95 Am Americium	Actinoids	Solid	`#D1D1CF` Silvery-white metal; radioactive.	—
96 Cm Curium	Actinoids	Solid	`#C8C9CA` Silvery metal; radioactive.	—
97 Bk Berkelium	Actinoids	Solid	`#C5C6C7` Silvery metal; made only in tiny amounts.	—
98 Cf Californium	Actinoids	Solid	`#C4C5C6` Silvery metal; made only in tiny amounts.	—
99 Es Einsteinium	Actinoids	Solid	`#C2C3C4` Silvery metal that glows blue from its own radioactivity; made only in tiny amounts.	Einsteinium glows blue in the dark from its own intense radioactivity.
100 Fm Fermium	Actinoids	Not known	Made only a few atoms at a time; never seen in visible amounts, so its appearance is not known.	—
101 Md Mendelevium	Actinoids	Not known	Made only a few atoms at a time; never seen in visible amounts, so its appearance is not known.	—
102 No Nobelium	Actinoids	Not known	Made only a few atoms at a time; never seen in visible amounts, so its appearance is not known.	—
103 Lr Lawrencium	Actinoids	Not known	Made only a few atoms at a time; never seen in visible amounts, so its appearance is not known.	—
104 Rf Rutherfordium	Transition metals (expected)	Not known	Made only a few atoms at a time; never seen in visible amounts, so its appearance is not known.	—
105 Db Dubnium	Transition metals (expected)	Not known	Made only a few atoms at a time; never seen in visible amounts, so its appearance is not known.	—
106 Sg Seaborgium	Transition metals (expected)	Not known	Made only a few atoms at a time; never seen in visible amounts, so its appearance is not known.	—
107 Bh Bohrium	Transition metals (expected)	Not known	Made only a few atoms at a time; never seen in visible amounts, so its appearance is not known.	—
108 Hs Hassium	Transition metals (expected)	Not known	Made only a few atoms at a time; never seen in visible amounts, so its appearance is not known.	—
109 Mt Meitnerium	Chemistry not yet measured (expected)	Not known	Made only a few atoms at a time; never seen in visible amounts, so its appearance is not known.	—
110 Ds Darmstadtium	Chemistry not yet measured (expected)	Not known	Made only a few atoms at a time; never seen in visible amounts, so its appearance is not known.	—
111 Rg Roentgenium	Chemistry not yet measured (expected)	Not known	Made only a few atoms at a time; never seen in visible amounts, so its appearance is not known.	—
112 Cn Copernicium	Chemistry not yet measured (expected)	Not known	Made only a few atoms at a time; never seen in visible amounts, so its appearance is not known.	—
113 Nh Nihonium	Chemistry not yet measured (expected)	Not known	Made only a few atoms at a time; never seen in visible amounts, so its appearance is not known.	—
114 Fl Flerovium	Chemistry not yet measured (expected)	Not known	Made only a few atoms at a time; never seen in visible amounts, so its appearance is not known.	—
115 Mc Moscovium	Chemistry not yet measured (expected)	Not known	Made only a few atoms at a time; never seen in visible amounts, so its appearance is not known.	—
116 Lv Livermorium	Chemistry not yet measured (expected)	Not known	Made only a few atoms at a time; never seen in visible amounts, so its appearance is not known.	—
117 Ts Tennessine	Chemistry not yet measured (expected)	Not known	Made only a few atoms at a time; never seen in visible amounts, so its appearance is not known.	—
118 Og Oganesson	Chemistry not yet measured (expected)	Not known	Made only a few atoms at a time; never seen in visible amounts, so its appearance is not known.	—

How to read these colours

Families uses interface colours to group the table, like a map key. They are not the colours of the elements.
What it looks like shows the pure element at room temperature as a display approximation for a screen. Most metals reflect light almost evenly, so they look silvery; nine elements are colourless gases and are shown as colourless, not white; 21 have never been made in visible amounts, so no colour is shown.
Light & pigments shows the light an element gives out (flame tests, discharge tubes, auroras, phosphors). A flame colour often comes from molecules, not single atoms, and is described as such. Line colours use the same CIE 1931 data as the wavelength explorer.
Compounds, alloys and glass are not the element. Cobalt blue is cobalt aluminate, brass is copper and zinc, ruby glass is gold particles in glass: each is labelled with its kind and formula. Several historic pigments (lead white, vermilion, orpiment, chrome yellow) are toxic.