So named (
Latin Gallia, "
France") in
1875 by
P. E. Lecoq de Boisbaudran,
French chemist, after
France, and as a pun on his name
Lecoq (
Latin gallus, "
cock")) A bluish-white,
metallic chemical element, often a
supercooled
liquid at
room temperature, used in
semiconductors,
LED's,
lasers, etc., and as a substitute for
mercury in high-temperature
thermometers.
Symbol: Ga
Atomic number: 31
Atomic weight: 69.723
Density (at room temperature and pressure): 5.91 g/cc
Melting point: 29.8°C
Boiling point: 2,204°C
Valence: +3
Ground state electron configuration: [Ar]3d104s24p1