Erbium (Er) – Periodic Table [Element Information & More]

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erbium element periodic table

Erbium element (Er) is in period 6 of a periodic table. Erbium is in the f-block and it is classified as a lanthanide on the periodic table.

There is a lot more information related to erbium which is mentioned in the Information Table given below.

So let’s dive right into it!

Table of contents

Erbium Element (Information Table)

The important data related to erbium element is given in the table below.

Appearance of erbiumSilvery white appearance
Atomic number of erbium68
Symbol of erbiumEr
Atomic mass of erbium167.26 u
Protons, Neutrons & Electrons in erbiumProtons: 68, Neutrons: 99, Electrons: 68
State of erbium (at STP)Solid
Period number of erbium in periodic table6
Block of erbium in periodic tablef-block
Category of erbiumInner transition metals
Bohr model or Electrons per shell or Electrons arrangement in erbium2, 8, 18, 30, 8, 2
Electron configuration of erbium[Xe] 4f12 6s2
Orbital diagram of erbiumorbital diagram of erbium
Electronegativity of erbium (on pauling scale)1.23
Atomic radius of erbium (van der Waals radius)216 picometers
Density of erbium9.06 g/cm3
1st ionization energy of erbium6.022 eV
Main isotope of erbium166Er
Melting point of erbium1802 K or 1529 °C or 2784 °F
Boiling point of erbium3141 K or 2868 °C or 5194 °F
Crystal structure of erbiumHexagonal Close Packed (HCP)
Discovery of erbiumBy Carl Gustaf Mosander in 1843

Also see: Interactive Periodic Table (It has rotating bohr models as well as many other details of all the 118 elements in a single periodic table).

Erbium element in Periodic table

The Erbium element (Er) has the atomic number 68 and is located in period 6. Erbium is a metal and it is classified as a lanthanide group element.

H He
Li Be B C N O F Ne
Na Mg Al Si P S Cl Ar
K Ca Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn Ga Ge As Se Br Kr
Rb Sr Y Zr Nb Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd In Sn Sb Te I Xe
Cs Ba La* Hf Ta W Re Os Ir Pt Au Hg Tl Pb Bi Po At Rn
Fr Ra Ac** Rf Db Sg Bh Hs Mt Ds Rg Cn Nh Fl Mc Lv Ts Og
*Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu
**Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr

Facts about erbium

Here are a few interesting facts about erbium element.

  1. Erbium was given its name from the name of a small village “Ytterby”, which is in Sweden.
  2. The earth’s crust contains around 3 ppm (by weight) of erbium.
  3. Gadolinite and euxenite are the major ores of erbium from which the majority of erbium is extracted.
  4. Carl Gustaf Mosander discovered erbium in the year 1843.

Properties of erbium

Here is a list of some physical properties and chemical properties of erbium.

Physical properties of erbium

  • Erbium has a silvery white appearance.
  • The melting point and boiling point of erbium is 1802 K and 3141 K respectively.
  • There are many isotopes of erbium, and out of those isotopes the most abundant isotope is 166Er.
  • Erbium has a density of 9.06 g/cm3 and its atomic mass is 167.26 amu.
  • Erbium has HCP crystal structure.

Chemical properties of erbium

  • Erbium does not react easily with the atmospheric oxygen at room temperature.
  • Erbium shows a reaction with water.
  • It also gets dissolved in acids.
  • The most common oxidation state of erbium is 3+ and the salts of erbium appear light pink in color.

Uses of erbium

Here are some uses of the erbium element.

  • Erbium is used as a control rod in nuclear reactors, because it has a capacity to absorb neutrons.
  • Erbium is also  used in lasers to treat skin problems.
  • Erbium is a soft metal and it is added to other hard metals to reduce their hardness.
  • The oxides of erbium is used in glasses to give a pink tint.

Article by;

Jay Rana

Jay is an educator and has helped more than 100,000 students in their studies by providing simple and easy explanations on different science-related topics. With a desire to make learning accessible for everyone, he founded Knords Learning, an online chemistry learning platform that provides students with easily understandable explanations.

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