Lutetium (Lu) – Periodic Table [Element Information & More]

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lutetium element periodic table

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

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

So let’s dive right into it!

Table of contents

Lutetium Element (Information Table)

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

Appearance of lutetiumSilvery white appearance
Atomic number of lutetium71
Symbol of lutetiumLu
Atomic mass of lutetium174.97 u
Protons, Neutrons & Electrons in lutetiumProtons: 71, Neutrons: 104, Electrons: 71
State of lutetium (at STP)Solid
Period number of lutetium in periodic table6
Block of lutetium in periodic tablef-block
Category of lutetiumInner transition metals
Bohr model or Electrons per shell or Electrons arrangement in lutetium2, 8, 18, 32, 9, 2
Electron configuration of lutetium[Xe] 4f14 5d1 6s2
Orbital diagram of lutetiumorbital diagram of lutetium
Electronegativity of lutetium (on pauling scale)1.27
Atomic radius of lutetium (van der Waals radius)221 picometers
Density of lutetium9.84 g/cm3
1st ionization energy of lutetium5.426 eV
Main isotope of lutetium175Lu
Melting point of lutetium1925 K or 1652 °C or 3006 °F
Boiling point of lutetium3675 K or 3402 °C or 6156 °F
Crystal structure of lutetiumHexagonal Close Packed (HCP)
Discovery of lutetiumBy Georges Urbain and Carl Auer von Welsbach (in 1906)

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).

Lutetium element in Periodic table

The Lutetium element (Lu) has the atomic number 71 and is located in period 6. Lutetium 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 lutetium

Here are a few interesting facts about lutetium element.

  1. Georges Urbain and Carl Auer von Welsbach discovered lutetium in the year 1906.
  2. Lutetium was given its name from the word “Lutetia”, which was the ancient name for Paris.
  3. Lutetium is the least abundant lanthanide on the periodic table.
  4. The earth’s crust has a lutetium in the proportion of 0.6 ppm by weight.
  5. Lutetium is mostly obtained from its ore monazite.

Properties of lutetium

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

Physical properties of lutetium

  • Lutetium has a silvery white appearance.
  • Lutetium has density of 9.84 g/cm3 and its atomic mass is 174.97 amu.
  • The melting point and boiling point of lutetium is 1925 K and 3675 K respectively.
  • Lutetium has many isotopes, and the most abundant isotope is 175Lu.
  • Lutetium has a HCP crystal structure.

Chemical properties of lutetium

  • Lutetium tarnishes when kept open in the air.
  • Lutetium has an electronegativity of 1.27 on the pauling scale.
  • Lutetium has a most common +3 oxidation state and it exists as a Lu3+ ion in its compounds.

Uses of lutetium

Here are some uses of the lutetium element.

  • Lutetium hydroxide is used for cracking hydrocarbons.
  • 176Lu is used to find the age of meteorites.
  • 177Lu is used to treat cancer.

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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