What is the densest element?

Have you ever wondered which element has the highest density or mass per unit volume? While osmium is generally cited as the element with the highest density, the answer isn't always true. Here's an explanation of density and how the value is determined. Density is mass per unit volume. read more

Normally, osmium is the densest element. However, the density of the element depends on many factors. These include the allotrope (form) of the element, the pressure, and the temperature, so there isn't a single value for density. read more

Osmium (from Greek ὀσμή osme, "smell") is a chemical element with symbol Os and atomic number 76. It is a hard, brittle, bluish-white transition metal in the platinum group that is found as a trace element in alloys, mostly in platinum ores. Osmium is the densest naturally occurring element, with a density of 22.59 g/cm 3. read more

The most dense gas element is either radon (monatomic), xenon (which forms Xe 2 rarely), or possibly oganesson, element 118. Oganesson may, however, be a liquid at room temperature and pressure. Under ordinary conditions, the least dense element is hydrogen, while the most dense element is either osmium or iridium. read more

Under ordinary conditions, the least dense element is hydrogen, while the most dense element is either osmium or iridium. Some of the superheavy radioactive elements are expected to have even higher density values than osmium or iridium, but not enough has been produced to perform measurements. read more