What is Niobium atom?

   

 Niobium, also known as columbium, is a chemical element with the symbol Nb and atomic number 41.  Niobium is a light grey, crystalline, and ductile transition metal.  Pure niobium has a Mohs hardness rating similar to that of pure titanium, and it has similar ductility to iron.  Niobium oxidizes in the earth's atmosphere very slowly, hence its application in jewelry as a hypoallergenic alternative to nickel.  Niobium is often found in the minerals pyrochlore and columbite, hence the former name "columbium".   Its name comes from Greek mythology, specifically Niobe, who was the daughter of Tantalus, the  namesake of tantalum.  The name reflects the great similarity between the two elements in their physical and chemical properties, making them difficult to distinguish.  

     The English chemist Charles Hatchett reported a new element similar to tantalum in 1801 and named it columbium.  In 1809 the English chemist William Hyde Wollaston wrongly concluded that tantalum and columbium were identical.  The German chemist Heinrich Rose determined in 1846 that tantalum ores contain a second element, which he named niobium.  In 1864 and 1865, a series of scientific findings clarified that niobium and columbium were the same element and for a century both names were used interchangeably.  Niobium was officially adopted as the name of the element in 1949, but the name columbium remains in current use in metallurgy in the United States.