Bismuth vs Lead
Bismuth and Lead are genuine alternatives to one another — a choice somebody actually makes — and differ on 5 measured properties, density most clearly.
Bismuth vs Lead
Bismuth
Bi
The heaviest element that is, for practical purposes, stable — and the least toxic heavy metal.
| Property | Bismuth | Lead |
|---|---|---|
| Atomic number | 83 higher | 82 |
| Density | 9.78 g/cm³ | 11.34 g/cm³ higher |
| Electrical conductivity Only one of the two has a figure we can stand behind, so there is nothing to compare. | Not known | 4.8 MS/m |
| Melting point | 271.4 °C | 327.2–328 °C higher |
| Mohs hardness Mohs hardness is an ordinal scale: values can be ranked, but differences and ratios between them are not meaningful. | about 2.25 higher | about 1.5 |
| Molar mass | 208.9804 g/mol higher | 207.2 g/mol |
Choosing between them
Bismuth is recorded as a substitute for Lead — less toxic.
What it gives up: Brittle, and it expands on freezing — useful in a casting alloy and awkward in a joint.
Partial substitute, on the evidence cited above.