Scandium (not a lanthanide, but considered a rare earth element)

atomic number:

21

atomic radius:

216 pm (Van der Waals)

atomic symbol:

Sc

standard state:

solid at 298 K (about 25°C)

atomic weight:

44.955912

melting point:

1541°C

electron configuration:

[Ar]4s²3d¹

boiling point:

2836°C

oxidation states:

3

color:

silvery white, yellowish tarnish

year discovered:

1879

discovered by:

Lars Fredrik Nilson (1840-1899)

Scandium was named from the Latin word Scandia, meaning Scandinavia.

Yttrium (not a lanthanide, but considered a rare earth element)

atomic number:

39

atomic radius:

219 pm (Van der Waals)

atomic symbol:

Y

standard state:

solid at 298 K (about 25°C)

atomic weight:

88.91

melting point:

1522°C

electron configuration:

[Kr]5s²4d¹

boiling point:

3345°C

oxidation states:

3

color:

silvery white, yellowish tarnish

year discovered:

1794

discovered by:

Johan Gadolin (1760-1852)

Yttrium was named after Ytterby, a town in Sweden near where the mineral Ytterbite (also named after Ytterby) was discovered in 1787 by Swedish chemist Carl Axel Arrhenius (1757-1824). Ytterbite was later renamed Gadolinite in honor of Johan Gadolin (1760-1852) who discovered the element yttrium from a Ytterbite sample.

Lanthanum

atomic number:

57

atomic radius:

240 pm (Van der Waals)

atomic symbol:

La

standard state:

solid at 298 K (about 25°C)

atomic weight:

138.9

melting point:

918 °C

electron configuration:

[Xe]6s²5d¹

boiling point:

3464 °C

oxidation states:

3

color:

silvery white

year discovered:

1839

discovered by:

Carl Gustaf Mosander (1797-1858)

Lanthanum was named from the Greek word lanthanein (λανθανω), meaning to escape notice.

Cerium

atomic number:

58

atomic radius:

235 pm (Van der Waals)

atomic symbol:

Ce

standard state:

solid at

atomic weight:

140.1

melting point:

798 °C

electron configuration:

[Xe]6s²4f¹5d¹

boiling point:

3443 °C

oxidation states:

4, 3

color:

silvery white

year discovered:

1801

discovered by:

Martin Heinrich Klaproth (1743-1817)

Cerium was named after the asteroid Ceres, which was discovered on January 1, 1801, two years before the discovery of cerium. Ceres was discovered and named by Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi (1746-1826) after Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture. Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt which lies between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. It was originally considered a planet, but was reclassified as an asteroid in the 1850s. It was designated as a dwarf planet by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2006.

Praseodymium

atomic number:

59

atomic radius:

239 pm (Van der Waals)

atomic symbol:

Pr

standard state:

solid at 298 K (about 25°C)

atomic weight:

140.9

melting point:

931°C

electron configuration:

[Xe]6s²4f³

boiling point:

3520°C

oxidation states:

3

color:

silvery white, yellowish tinge

year discovered:

1885

discovered by:

Carl Auer von Welsbach (1858-1929)

Praseodumium was named from the Greek words prasinos (πράσινος), meaning green, and didymos (δίδυμος), meaning twin. Praseodymium and neodymium are called "twins" because they are so much like lanthanum. Praseodymium is the "green" twin because when it becomes moist, it reacts with the oxygen in air to form praseodymium oxide which forms as a greenish-yellow scale (like rust) on its surface. To protect it from this reaction, it should be stored in mineral oil.

Neodymium

atomic number:

60

atomic radius:

229 pm (Van der Waals)

atomic symbol:

Nd

standard state:

solid at 298 K (about 25°C)

atomic weight:

144.242

melting point:

1021°C

electron configuration:

[Xe]6s²4f⁴

boiling point:

3074°C

oxidation states:

3

color:

silvery white, yellowish tinge

year discovered:

1885

discovered by:

Carl Auer von Welsbach (1858-1929)

Neodumium was named from the Greek words neo (νέος) meaning new, and didymos (δίδυμος), meaning twin. Neodymium and praseodymium are called "twins" because they are so much like lanthanum.

Promethium

atomic number:

61

atomic radius:

236 pm (Van der Waals)

atomic symbol:

Pm

standard state:

solid at 298 K (about 25°C)

atomic weight:

145

melting point:

1042°C

electron configuration:

[Xe]6s²4f⁵

boiling point:

~3000°C

oxidation states:

3, 2

color:

silvery white, yellowish tinge

year discovered:

1945

discovered by:

Charles D. Coryell, Jacob A. Marinsky, Lawrence E. Glendenin, Harold G. Richter

named by:

Grace Mary Coryell (1945)

Promethium was named after the Greek Titan Prometheus, who, according to Greek mythology, stole fire from Mount Olympus to give to mankind.

Samarium

atomic number:

62

atomic radius:

229 pm (Van der Waals)

atomic symbol:

Sm

standard state:

solid at 298 K (about 25°C)

atomic weight:

150.36

melting point:

1074°C

electron configuration:

[Xe]6s²4f⁶

boiling point:

1794°C

oxidation states:

3, 2

color:

silvery white

year discovered:

1879

discovered by:

Paul Emile Lecoq de Boisbaudran (1838-1912)

Samarium was discovered in, and named for, the mineral Samarskite. Samarskite was named in honor of Colonel Vasilii Yevgrafovich Samarskii-Bykhovets (1803-1870), Chief of Staff of the Russian Corps of Mining Engineers.

Europium

atomic number:

63

atomic radius:

233 pm (Van der Waals)

atomic symbol:

Eu

standard state:

solid at 298 K (about 25°C)

atomic weight:

151.964

melting point:

1074°C

electron configuration:

[Xe]6s²4f⁷

boiling point:

1794°C

oxidation states:

3, 2

color:

silvery white

year discovered:

1901

discovered by:

Eugène-Anatole Demarçay (1852-1903)

Europium was named after Europe.

Gadolinium

atomic number:

64

atomic radius:

237 pm (Van der Waals)

atomic symbol:

Gd

standard state:

solid at 298 K (about 25°C)

atomic weight:

157.25

melting point:

1313°C

electron configuration:

[Xe]6s²4f⁷5d¹  

boiling point:

3273°C

oxidation states:

3

color:

silvery white

year discovered:

1880

discovered by:

Jean Charles Gallisard de Marignac (1817-1894)

Gadolinium was named after Finnish chemist Johan Gadolin (1760-1852). The mineral Ytterbite was renamed Gadolinite in 1800 also to honor him.

Terbium

atomic number:

65

atomic radius:

221 pm (Van der Waals)

atomic symbol:

Tb

standard state:

solid at 298 K (about 25°C)

atomic weight:

157.25

melting point:

1356°C

electron configuration:

[Xe]6s²4f⁹

boiling point:

3230°C

oxidation states:

3

color:

silvery white

year discovered:

1843

discovered by:

Carl Gustaf Mosander (1797-1858)

Terbium was named after Ytterby, a town in Sweden near where the mineral Ytterbite (also named after Ytterby) was discovered in 1787 by Swedish chemist Carl Axel Arrhenius (1757-1824). Ytterbite was later renamed Gadolinite in honor of Johan Gadolin (1760-1852) who discovered the element yttrium from a Ytterbite sample.

Dysprosium

atomic number:

66

atomic radius:

229 pm (Van der Waals)

atomic symbol:

Dy

standard state:

solid at 298 K (about 25°C)

atomic weight:

162.5

melting point:

1413°C

electron configuration:

[Xe]6s²4f¹⁰

boiling point:

2567°C

oxidation states:

3

color:

silvery white

year discovered:

1886

discovered by:

Paul Emile Lecoq de Boisbaudran (1838-1912)

Dysprosium was named from the Greek word dysprositos (δυσπρόσιτος), meaning hard to get.

Holmium

atomic number:

67

atomic radius:

216 pm (Van der Waals)

atomic symbol:

Ho

standard state:

solid at 298 K (about 25°C)

atomic weight:

164.93032

melting point:

1474°C

electron configuration:

[Xe]6s²4f¹¹

boiling point:

2700°C

oxidation states:

3

color:

silvery white

year discovered:

1878

discovered by:

Per Teodore Cleve (1840-1905)

Holmium was named from the Latin word Holmia meaning Stockholm, Sweden, Per Teodore Cleve's native city.

Erbium

atomic number:

68

atomic radius:

235 pm (Van der Waals)

atomic symbol:

Er

standard state:

solid at 298 K (about 25°C)

atomic weight:

167.259

melting point:

1529°C

electron configuration:

[Xe]6s²4f¹²

boiling point:

2868°C

oxidation states:

3

color:

silvery white

year discovered:

1842

discovered by:

Carl Gustaf Mosander (1797-1858)

Erbium was named after Ytterby, a town in Sweden near where the mineral Ytterbite (also named after Ytterby) was discovered in 1787 by Swedish chemist Carl Axel Arrhenius (1757-1824). Ytterbite was later renamed Gadolinite in honor of Johan Gadolin (1760-1852) who discovered the element yttrium from a Ytterbite sample.

Thulium

atomic number:

69

atomic radius:

227 pm (Van der Waals)

atomic symbol:

Tm

standard state:

solid at 298 K (about 25°C)

atomic weight:

168.93421

melting point:

1545°C

electron configuration:

[Xe]6s²4f¹³

boiling point:

1950°C

oxidation states:

3, 2

color:

silvery white

year discovered:

1879

discovered by:

Per Teodore Cleve (1840-1905)

Thulium was named after Thule, an ancient name for Scandinavia.

Ytterbium

atomic number:

70

atomic radius:

242 pm (Van der Waals)

atomic symbol:

Yb

standard state:

solid at 298 K (about 25°C)

atomic weight:

173.054

melting point:

819°C

electron configuration:

[Xe]6s²4f¹⁴

boiling point:

1196°C

oxidation states:

3, 2

color:

silvery white

year discovered:

1878

discovered by:

Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac (1817-1894)

Ytterbium was named after Ytterby, a town in Sweden near where the mineral Ytterbite (also named after Ytterby) was discovered in 1787 by Swedish chemist Carl Axel Arrhenius (1757-1824). Ytterbite was later renamed Gadolinite in honor of Johan Gadolin (1760-1852) who discovered the element yttrium from a Ytterbite sample.

Lutetium

atomic number:

71

atomic radius:

221 pm (Van der Waals)

atomic symbol:

Lu

standard state:

solid at 298 K (about 25°C)

atomic weight:

174.9668

melting point:

1663°C

electron configuration:

[Xe]6s²4f¹⁴5d¹

boiling point:

3402°C

oxidation states:

3

color:

silvery white

year discovered:

1907

discovered by:

Georges Urbain (1872-1938) and
Carl Auer von Welsbach (1858-1929)

Lutetium was named after Lutetia, an ancient Latin name for Paris.