Bismuth is the chemical element with atomic number 83 and symbol . It is a metal. The oxidation state is common. Natural bismuth is dominated by the extremely long-lived radioactive isotope bismuth-209, showing that everyday apparent stability and strict nuclear stability are not identical.[ref]
The +3 oxidation state of bismuth. The actual aqueous species can depend on pH, hydrolysis and ligands; a bare ionic formula is an analytical shorthand.
