Is Barium a Metal, Nonmetal or Metalloid?
Barium (Ba) is a metal — a reactive metal of group 2 with two valence electrons ready to bond. It sits in group 2, period 6, and is a solid at room temperature.
Teachers call it "one fact, fully handled" — exactly what this page does for Barium. The answer sits at the top in bold; scroll for the working, the shell-by-shell breakdown and the two questions students ask most. Need the whole picture instead — history, characteristics, uses, exam questions? The full Barium page is one click away.
The one-line answer, with reasons
Barium is a metal. Chemists decide by behaviour, not appearance: metals (like Barium) give up electrons, shine when freshly cut, and conduct heat and electricity; nonmetals take or share electrons and (as solids) break rather than bend. Barium checks every metal box — placed in the alkaline earth metal family of the table.
Barium's metal/nonmetal report card
| Property | Value | Typical of |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Alkaline earth metal | — |
| Phase at room temp | solid | metals are usually solid |
| Block | s-block | — |
| Group | 2 | — |
| Period | 6 | — |
The family it belongs to
The whole alkaline earth metal family shares one seating area of the table, and every member's family ID card is one click away — compare Barium with its upstairs or downstairs neighbour and the family pattern jumps out.
Students also ask
Is Barium a good conductor of electricity?
Yes — like other metals, Barium conducts electricity and heat well, thanks to its sea of free electrons.
Can a gas be a metal — like Barium?
Yes — being a metal or nonmetal is about bonding and electron behaviour, not state. At room temperature Barium is a solid, and that says nothing against its metallic character.