Period 6 element the last stable element; all subsequent elements are radioactive. For bismuth, however, its only primordial isotope, Bi, has a half-life of more than 10 years, over a billion times longer than the current age of the universe. As a rule, period 6 elements fill their 6s shells first, then their 4f, 5d, and 6p shells, in that order; however, there are exceptions, such as gold. This period contains the lanthanides, also known as the "rare earths". Many lanthanides are known for their magnetic properties, such as neodymium. Many period 6 transition metals are very valuable, such as gold, however many
Period 5 element are incredibly shiny. This period is known to have a large number of exceptions to the Madelung rule. (*) Exception to the Madelung rule Rubidium is the first element placed in period 5. It is an alkali metal, the most reactive group in the periodic table, having properties and similarities with both other alkali metals and other period 5 elements. For example, rubidium has 5 electron shells, a property found in all other period 5 elements, whereas its electron configuration's ending is similar to all other alkali metals: s. Rubidium also follows the trend of increasing reactivity as the atomic