Lanthanide facts for kids

Atomic No.	Name	Symbol	Picture
57	Lanthanum	La
58	Cerium	Ce
59	Praseodymium	Pr
60	Neodymium	Nd
61	Promethium	Pm	−
62	Samarium	Sm
63	Europium	Eu
64	Gadolinium	Gd
65	Terbium	Tb
66	Dysprosium	Dy
67	Holmium	Ho
68	Erbium	Er
69	Thulium	Tm
70	Ytterbium	Yb
71	Lutetium	Lu

A lanthanide is one of a group of 15 elements that have atomic numbers 57 to 71. This is also known as the lanthanide series or lanthanoid series. This group starts at lanthanum and it ends at lutetium. All lanthanoids are f-block elements, meaning that electrons fill the 4f electron shell, except for lutetium which is a d-block lanthanoid. The lanthanoid series (Ln) is named after lanthanum.

Lanthanides are metals that are related to each other in how they behave. Most of them slowly turn into their hydroxides when they are placed into water, like the alkali metals. They usually form a coating of oxide when placed in the air, like most metals. Lanthanides, with Scandium and Yttrium, are called rare earth elements. All the lanthanoids are silvery white soft metals and tarnish rapidly in air. The hardness increases with increasing atomic number.

Lanthanides are not abundant, and only small amounts are mined. Some have various uses in magnets, superconductors, chemical catalysts, and optical equipment such as lasers.

Images for kids

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  Lanthanide oxides: clockwise from top center: praseodymium, cerium, lanthanum, neodymium, samarium and gadolinium.

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  A solution of 4% holmium oxide in 10% perchloric acid, permanently fused into a quartz cuvette as a wavelength calibration standard

See also

In Spanish: Lantánidos para niños