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Bismuth vs. Selenium — What's the Difference?

Bismuth vs. Selenium — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Bismuth and Selenium

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Bismuth

Bismuth is a chemical element with the symbol Bi and atomic number 83. It is a post-transition metal, radioactive, and one of the pnictogens with chemical properties resembling its lighter group 15 siblings arsenic and antimony.

Selenium

Selenium is a chemical element with the symbol Se and atomic number 34. It is a nonmetal (more rarely considered a metalloid) with properties that are intermediate between the elements above and below in the periodic table, sulfur and tellurium, and also has similarities to arsenic.

Bismuth

A brittle, crystalline, highly diamagnetic metallic element with a very low thermal conductivity and a pinkish-white luster, used in alloys to form sharp castings for objects sensitive to high temperatures and in various low-melting alloys for fire-safety devices. Atomic number 83; atomic weight 208.98; melting point 271.3°C; boiling point 1,564°C; specific gravity 9.78; valence 3, 5. See Periodic Table.

Selenium

A nonmetallic element, red in powder form, black in vitreous form, and metallic gray in stable crystalline form, resembling sulfur and found as an impurity in pyrites or obtained as a byproduct of electrolytic copper refining. It is widely used in rectifiers, as a semiconductor, and in xerography. Its photovoltaic and photoconductive actions make it useful in photocells, photographic exposure meters, and solar cells. Atomic number 34; atomic weight 78.96; melting point (gray) 221°C; boiling point (gray) 685°C; specific gravity (gray) 4.79; (vitreous) 4.28; valence 2, 4, or 6. See Periodic Table.

Bismuth

A chemical element (symbol Bi) with an atomic number of 83: a brittle silvery-white metal.
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Selenium

A nonmetallic chemical element (symbol Se) with an atomic number of 34, used mainly in glassmaking and pigments and as a semiconductor.

Bismuth

(countable) A single atom of this element.

Selenium

A single atom of this element.

Bismuth

One of the elements; a metal of a reddish white color, crystallizing in rhombohedrons. It is somewhat harder than lead, and rather brittle; masses show broad cleavage surfaces when broken across. It melts at 507° Fahr., being easily fused in the flame of a candle. It is found in a native state, and as a constituent of some minerals. Specific gravity 9.8. Atomic weight 207.5. Symbol Bi.

Selenium

A nonmetallic element of the sulphur group of atomic number 34, analogous to sulphur in its compounds. It is found in small quantities with sulphur and some sulphur ores, and obtained in the free state as a dark reddish powder or crystalline mass, or as a dark metallic-looking substance. It exhibits under the action of light a remarkable variation in electric conductivity, and is used in certain electric apparatus. Symbol Se. Atomic weight 78.96.

Bismuth

A heavy brittle diamagnetic trivalent metallic element (resembles arsenic and antimony chemically); usually recovered as a by-product from ores of other metals

Selenium

A toxic nonmetallic element related to sulfur and tellurium; occurs in several allotropic forms; a stable gray metallike allotrope conducts electricity better in the light than in the dark and is used in photocells; occurs in sulfide ores (as pyrite)

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