Structure:
The only naturally occurring isotope of Manganese is Mn 55. The Radioisotopes of Manganese are 51Mn,52Mn,53Mn,54Mn,56Mn, and 57Mn.
| Radioisotope | Mass | Half-Life |
| 51Mn | 50.948215 | 46.2 m |
| 52Mn | 51.945570 | 5.591 d |
| 53Mn | 52.941294 | 3.7 x 106 y |
| 54Mn | 53.940363 | 312.2 d |
| 56Mn | 55.938909 | 2.579 h |
| 57Mn | 56.938287 | 1.45 m |
The Manganese structure takes on a cubic form (as seen below). When Manganese is seen in its natural state, it has a grayish-white color, close to iron, but more brittle. Manganese is a transitional metal and has a structure similar to most other metals. Manganese has 4 energy levels. The electron configuration of Manganese in those 4 levels is 2-8-13-2, giving it a total of 25 electrons. The nucleus of a Manganese atom contains 25 protons and 30 neutrons.
(feel free to play around, after all, a picture is worth a thousand words)
Basic Chemical Properties:
Manganese metal is chemically reactive and decomposes cold water at a very slow rate. Manganese is used to form many important alloys because of its chemical properties. In steel, manganese improves the strength, stiffness, wear resistance, hardness, rolling and forging qualities. Manganese metal is ferromagnetic (meaning it has an abnormally high magnetic permeability) only after special treatment. When Manganese metal is combined with aluminum and antimony and even copper, it can form highly ferromagnetic alloys.
The Manganese metal oxidizes in air and rusts in moist air, as with most metals. It also burns in air or oxygen at extreme temperatures, decomposes water slowly when cold and rapidly when being heated.